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The Walnut Creek City Council last week unanimously approved sending a $77 million overhaul of Heather Farm Park to the design/development phase.
Made possible by voters passing Measure O in 2022 to increase the city’s sales tax, the City Council agreed on April 16 that the Aquatic and Community Center Facility at Heather Farm Park will replace the existing community center and swim center with a new combined aquatic and community center.
The aquatic component will consist of an 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 be able to function as an emergency operations center for the city as well. 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, which the city estimates will take 20 months and begin in the summer of 2025. The design will likely begin in September and wrap up by April 2025.
The current swim facility will be demolished and filled in. Councilmembers have mentioned possibilities for the site, including bocce courts, but no decision has been made.