LET THE RENOVATIONS BEGIN!!!

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Downey Pool

Los Angeles - "What if we don"t know how to swim?" "Then you"ll take lessons and learn." Children from Downey Child Care Center and Albion Street Elementary School curiously questioned Assistant General Manager Vicki Israel about their future swimming adventures. "Will we be able to do cannonballs at the new pool?" "Can my little brother go swimming too?" "What if I only know how to float?" "What's a Splash Pad?"

It was Thursday, June 11, 2009 and the Department of Recreation and Parks was celebrating the start of construction on the Downey Pool Renovation Project. Even though their adventures will not start until the summer of 2010, the young swimmers were already anticipating the fun they will have at the new $3 million aquatics facility.

And what fun they will have with all the exciting and cool features at Downey Pool! The renovation project involves the demolition of the existing deteriorated swimming pool and pump house (which has been closed for the past three years); the construction of a new swimming pool that is 38 feet by 75 feet, a new 1,700-square-foot activity pool/splash pad, and new pump house; and the installation of decorative pool decking, perimeter fencing, landscaping, and irrigation. Renovations are planned to be completed by March 2010.

The Architectural Division in the Bureau of Engineering designed the facility. The Bureau's Municipal Facilities Program will manage the project and Horizon Construction, Inc. or Anaheim will build the aquatic center. Funding for the project at Downey Pool was provided by MICLA, Prop K and Quimby Funds.

When open, Downey Pool will join 33 other Department seasonal pools. Seasonal locations are only open during the summer months (usually from mid-June to early September). The pool will be operated by the Recreation and Parks' Aquatic Division. The Aquatic Division runs over 55 aquatic facilities and provides recreational swimming, lap swim, team sports, lifeguard training, junior lifeguard training, adaptive swimming for the disabled and swimming lessons to 1.3 million Los Angeles residents each year.

Downey Pool is located at 1775 North Spring Street, Los Angeles 90031. The closest open swim facility is Lincoln Pool located at 3501 Valley Blvd., Los Angeles 90032, (213) 847-3382. For more information on this project or the Department, visit our website at http://www.laparks.org/ or call (213) 202-2700.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jane Kolb: (213) 202-2694