Congratulations to Morgan Hill officials on the opening this
past weekend of the city
’s long-awaited aquatics center.
Congratulations to Morgan Hill officials on the opening this past weekend of the city’s long-awaited aquatics center. The center, to be built in phases, has a capital budget of $13.9 million for completion, paid by the city’s redevelopment agency.
Morgan Hill has done an excellent job of leveraging its RDA funds into important community assets, including the Community and Cultural Center, the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, downtown beautification and more.
The aquatics center currently features three swimming pools, a spray/play area and a tall water slide visible from Highway 101. It serves as a fun reminder that, thanks to the Morgan Hill RDA, there’s lots for kids and adults to do this summer in Morgan Hill.
Summer has – ‘til now – always started off with cries of “There’s nothing to do in Morgan Hill.”
No more.
In addition to helping South Valley stay cool and active during the hot summer, the aquatics center has the potential to rev up Morgan Hill’s economic engine. The center will play host to swim meets and water polo tournaments that should bring out-of-town visitors to stay in area hotels, dine in local restaurants and shop in our stores.
We’re certainly hoping the aquatics center makes a great splash, financially speaking. RDA funds were used to pay for construction, but the city’s stressed general fund must pay for any operation and maintenance costs not covered by entry fees and sales income. The success or failure of the aquatics center will have a dramatic impact on Morgan Hill taxpayers.
But the success of the aquatics center rests on how well it is programmed and marketed. It looks like the center is off to a good start, with Teen Howl and Dive-in Movie nights planned. The city’s timing is great, too: The permanent closure of Britton Middle School Pool and the temporary closures for renovations of the Gavilan College and Gilroy High School pools, there’s very little competition.
The situation may come down to “Is there enough room for everyone who wants to dive in.”
It’s up to the city’s recreation staff to plan exciting events and then to make sure all of South Valley and even beyond is aware of them through extensive marketing. The city must seize the opportunity presented by the lack of competition to become “the cool place” to cool off this summer.
So far, considering the powerhouse aquatics director the city hired to run the place and plan programming and the wide and serious publicity produced for the center’s opening, things are looking hopeful. They just need to keep it up.
Now it’s time for the public to do their job. Stock up on sunscreen, buy a season pass and get those kids off the couch and down to the pool. Working parents can sign their kids up for a summer camp run by the city’s recreation department – and others – that include trips to the pool.
Morgan Hill officials have undertaken a serious fiscal gamble with the opening of the aquatics center. We’re hoping they can turn the opportunity into a splashy payoff for the city and all of South Valley.
