Aquatic Center Coming to National City Marina District

Thursday, 15 September 2011
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216, (619) 686-6200

Children and adults in National City will have new recreational opportunities on San Diego Bay, following approval by the Board of Port Commissioners of a funding plan for a bay front aquatic center.

Recreational activities at the new facility will include kayaking, rowing and environmental education courses and other opportunities.

Port of San Diego Commissioners approved an agreement between the port and the City of National City during its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 2011. Under the agreement, the Port of San Diego will provide $830,000 and the City of National City will provide $3.3 million to construct the new facility.

The new center will replace an aquatic center at the site that has been housed in trailers.

"San Diego Bay and its surrounding tidelands provide a recreational haven for boaters, cyclists, fishermen, runners and art enthusiasts," said Chairman Scott Peters of the Board of Port Commissioners. "The aquatic center will be another amenity that will attract the public to the waterfront, this time in the South Bay."

The 4,700-square-foot facility will be built in Pepper Park, located on the south end of Tidelands Avenue in National City, and will complement the adjacent Pier 32 Marina.

Pepper Park is one of 17 waterfront parks that are maintained by the Port of San Diego in the five member cities of National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Coronado, and San Diego.

The aquatic center is the latest improvement that the Port of San Diego has approved for Pepper Park. In 2009, the port constructed new restrooms, clearing the way for the project. Also in 2009, the port improved the Pepper Park boat launch ramp. Co-sponsored by the port and the California Department of Boating and Waterways, the original concrete launch ramp was demolished and replaced with an eight-lane boat launching ramp. Two 10-foot wide boarding floats were installed.

"The addition of our permanent aquatic center is another advance in our cooperative efforts with the port," said National City Mayor Ron Morrison. "Through development of the marina, Marina Gateway hotel complex and now the aquatic center we are changing the face of National City's harbor district."

As part of its design, by Safdie Rabines Architects of San Diego, the facility will resemble a kite from the air and feature "green" or environmentally-friendly building components. The project managers for the facility will be Project Professionals Corporation of San Diego. Bidding for project construction will take place this fall, with completion of the facility set for Spring 2013.

The project will also include public art, landscaping improvements, paved areas for outside activity, security walls and fencing, as well as a promenade and walkways around the facility.

The lighting that will be installed as part of the project will be directed away from nearby wildlife refuges.

There will be no swimming facilities available at the proposed aquatic center.

The current aquatic center is operating out of temporary trailers in the Pepper Park parking lot. This project will remove the trailers and replace them with a permanent facility. Parking will be provided at the site to serve the aquatic center, park visitors and boaters who use the boat launch ramp at the site.

The Port's seventeen public parks along the waterfront include amenities such as children's playgrounds, basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball fields and miles of scenic walkways.

The Port of San Diego is responsible for $1.7 billion in public improvements in its five member cities: Imperial Beach, San Diego, Coronado, Chula Vista and National City.

The Port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, a cruise ship terminal, 17 public parks, various wildlife reserves and environmental initiatives, a Harbor Police department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub-tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.