Plaintive cries that “there’s nothing to do in Morgan Hill” should be silenced forever after Saturday when the city’s long-awaited three-pool aquatics center on Condit Road opens to the public.
Two days of ribbon cutting, tours, pool christening, free hot-dogs and special events are designed to introduce South Valley and San Benito County residents with a swim suit to the center’s delights. But it has been a push.
The center has been a gleam in the eye of Mayor Dennis Kennedy for years and, more recently, that of Councilman Larry Carr, both serious swimmers. Backed by Council members Greg Sellers and Hedy Chang and, a bit less fervently, by Steve Tate, council threw the might of Redevelopment Agency funding behind the project. But they weren’t alone.
The well-organized aquatics community set up a foundation so they could earn money efficiently to make the center happen. Along the way they promised to take over the cost of operations during “off season” so competition swimmers will have a reliable place to practice.
The city will close the recreation pool in mid-September and the competition pool when it no longer pays for itself or if the Aquatics Foundation is unable to fill the gap.
When the aquatics center was first announced, at a gala party in July 2002, the brightest moment was when Venture Corp. President Rob Eves presented Kennedy with a promise of $750,000 to jump-start the center.
Eves said recently that Kennedy had talked with such enthusiasm for so many years about an aquatics center that Eves gave the city the price of a parcel in his Morgan Hill Ranch, between Main Avenue and Cochrane Road. That parcel in the business park was to have been the aquatic center site.
Eves said he plans to join the revels Saturday and help celebrate the center’s opening.
“I’ll be there with bells on,” Eves said. “I was happy to play a part in the project.”
Kennedy said he drives by “about four times a day” and can hardly wait for the pools to open, along with lots of other people.
“It has been a lot of hard work,” Kennedy said, “but people are so excited about this, they keep asking me ‘is it ready yet?’ when I swim up in San Jose.”
Designed in several phases, this first stage has cost, so far, the $12,350,000 in RDA funds, plus Eves’ $750,000, though Finance Director Jack Dilles said not all the bills are in. The total cost, including land, will be $13.9 million once the land purchase is complete.
Recreation and Community Services Manager Julie Spier has been in charge of the recreation aspect from the beginning and said she was excited to see it taking shape, though the final weeks have been a bit hectic.
“But we’ll be ready to open on Saturday,” Spier said.
She hired aquatics specialist Aaron Himelson away from the Monterey Sports Center to run the operation and its seasonal staff of dozens. Himelson organized extensive training for his staff, ensuring they will be ready to instruct little ones and keep safe the hundreds of wet bodies expected to show up.
City staff was ordered by the council to give the center first priority, jumping it ahead of all other projects to shorten construction time as much as possible.
It was important, council said, to take advantage of the entire swim season and collect the most money toward operating costs.
Project manager Glenn Ritter said the compressed schedule between groundbreaking and ribbon cutting has been challenging but that all the important bits and pieces will be finished by Saturday morning.
“I’m happy to deliver it nearly on time,” Ritter said Friday.
Only the windscreen and a sunshade structure will remain incomplete.
While opening day ceremonies are free, actual swimming will cost $5 per person for Morgan Hill residents and nonresidents alike; on Monday costs to non-residents will rise.
