Balancing organization, innovative design, and community involvement, Kimley-Horn provided the City of Goodyear with master planning and...
Community Revitalization
Addressed a regional need for a public pool and recreational center for residents of the City of El Centro and the Imperial Valley
Local Outreach
Led outreach meetings with the El Centro community in English and Spanish to assess their aspirations for an aquatic center and gather valuable feedback to implement in the final design
Creative Design
Balanced competitive and recreational elements of the aquatic center to align with the architectural and cultural context of the City of El Centro
Nestled in the hot desert of California’s Imperial Valley, the City of El Centro lost its only community swimming pool after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The City wanted to create a new space for people to cool off in the summertime, and Kimley-Horn was selected to design the El Centro Aquatic Center with multiple unique features to bring the community together.
Innovative Design Services
Kimley-Horn led design services, incorporating creative features that balanced spaces for competitive and recreational water use and aligning design with the architectural and cultural character of El Centro. Our team carefully considered construction and operating costs as well as anticipated yearly revenue opportunities through our design approach. With the partnership of our subconsultants the Aquatic Design Group and Platt/Whitelaw Architects, our services included:
Project management
Civil engineering
Community outreach
Landscape architecture
Structural engineering
Construction phase support
Previous
Next
Kimley-Horn also led design services for landscape and irrigation improvements, decorative hardscape, concession stands, shade structures, water and sewer services, storm drain improvements, sports and pedestrian lighting, and audio and electrical components.
Implementing Public Input into Final Design
Prior to the design process, Kimley-Horn facilitated a series of public workshops and charrettes. We held multiple meetings to review different design concepts and let the residents vote on and select the designs they preferred. These meetings were conducted in English and Spanish to meet the community’s bilingual needs and reflect its multicultural nature. In fact, as the City of El Centro is close to the Mexico-California border, many people who commute to work in the city and use its recreational facilities live in Mexico.
Based on input gathered from community meetings, our team prepared a master plan concept drawing which would ultimately become the final design. Specific input from community residents, such as changes to the size and scale of the proposed pool, are reflected in the finalized elements of a lazy river, a children’s pool, and a warm-up pool.
Creating a New Recreational Space in El Centro
The finished aquatic center features a competition pool, warm-up pool, and multi-use recreational pools—including a children’s activity pool and a lazy river. Offering diverse opportunities for competitive swimming, therapeutic conditioning, lifeguard training, and general family fun, the facility also provides recreational programming, such as swim classes and event space for birthdays and themed parties.
The newly designed facility has become an invaluable resource and community gathering space, not only for the residents of the City of El Centro but for those throughout Imperial County.
