Walnut Creek has hired a contractor for phase one of building a new aquatic center and community center at Heather Farm Park.
The City Council on Tuesday approved setting aside $2.292 million for the initial phase, including $300,000 in contingency funds.
About $2 million of the funding will come from Measure O, a measure voters passed in 2022 to increase the city’s sales tax for projects like the $77 million overhaul of Heather Farm. The project will replace the existing community center and swim center with a new combined aquatic and community center.
The Heather Farm facilities were mostly built during the 1960s.
Carone & Company Inc. will handle the massive project’s first phase, which will modify Heather Farm’s pond and nature lake just a few yards to the north of the pond.
The lake will be expanded during phase one, resulting in a smaller concrete pond. A staff report from the meeting said the resulting shoreline will be replanted with native trees and shrubs.
Excess soil from the lake expansion will be spread in the open field between the backyards of homes on Matterhorn Drive and the community garden.
Phase one is scheduled to begin later this month or in early July and conclude in the fall.
A new world-class pool
The aquatic component will feature a new 18-lane, 50-meter competitive lap pool and a 25-meter family recreational pool with a beach entry, a slide, and a children’s water spray device. Locker rooms will be part of the adjacent community center building. The center will operate with electricity from solar panels.
The large pool will be configured to World Aquatics standards for competition. The entire pool space will encompass more than 35,000 square feet.
The new 23,400-square-foot community center will also be able to function as an emergency operations center for the city. The city’s current emergency operations center is a conference room at City Hall.
The existing community center and Clarke Memorial Swim Center will remain open during construction.
The current swim facility will eventually be demolished and filled in.
Assistant public works director Mike Vickers said the city will appoint a subcommittee to identify options for the space and share recommendations and request feedback from residents. Councilmembers have mentioned possibilities for the site, including bocce courts, but no decision has been made.