Santa Ana leaves opening date unclear for new Memorial Park pools

Santa Ana’s new Memorial Park Aquatic Center pools remain closed to the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with no opening date announced, according to Voice of OC. The project cost more than $29 million.

The uncertainty leaves residents without a timetable or admission prices for a taxpayer-funded recreation facility. It also has prompted questions from council members about why the city celebrated the project before the pools were available for use.

Councilwoman Jessie Lopez said she learned the facility would not be available until 2027 after residents sought answers missing from the city website, Voice of OC reported. She said she still could not give residents a specific opening date.

The reason for the continued closure remains unclear. Councilman Johnathan Hernandez said City Manager Alvaro Nuñez cited staffing shortages resulting from budget cuts, while Lopez believed some work remained unfinished. Officials also said construction delays had prevented an opening before summer, according to the publication.

Hernandez alleged the ribbon cutting benefited politicians pursuing reelection or higher office. Voice of OC did not establish that as the event’s purpose. Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Councilmen Ben Vazquez and Phil Bacerra were seeking reelection, while Councilmembers David Penaloza and Lopez were competing for state Assembly.

Vazquez posted an Instagram video saying the pools were open to the public, according to Voice of OC. The publication reported that the pools remained unavailable after the ceremony, and questions about public admission charges went unanswered.

The city awarded the construction contract in fall 2024. Its website anticipated construction beginning in early 2025 and taking up to 16 months, according to Voice of OC. Plans included a 25-meter competition pool with spectator seating, a recreation pool with a water slide, locker rooms, a community room, pool deck seating and a solar-powered, all-electric building.

Questions also extended to the site’s cultural heritage. Artists asked why preservation work on a historic Chicano mural at the aquatic center was not unveiled alongside the facility, Voice of OC reported.