For almost a decade, Aquatic Design Group collaborated with the City of Sacramento to bring a truly regional asset to the North Natomas Community and Sacramento as a whole.
SERVICES PROVIDED
THE CHALLENGE
Starting as a concept to provide a robust community amenity and swimming facility for area youth and families, Aquatic Design Group, along with our partners, developed a feasibility study in 2015 then refined in 2017 for the proposed Aquatic Center, including market analysis, site analysis, programming recommendations, public involvement, preliminary construction and operational cost estimates, projected and needed revenues, and possible funding strategies. The second study analyzed a different location within the Natomas Regional Park site that better served access to the roadways required significantly less coordination with adjacent facilities. These studies all concluded that the community need was evident and palpable.
The Solution
The NNCCAC is the 17th pool operated by the City of Sacramento and is the first regional facility designed to serve the entire City for 10 months of the year as part of the 220-acre North Natomas Regional Park. The design includes an indoor-outdoor connection between the community center and the aquatics program, creating a cohesive environment for recreational and educational programming and events. The aquatic center delivers a 50-meter competition pool, a 25-yard recreation pool with steps for children’s lessons, dueling 35-foot-tall water slides, and an activity pool for small children and families. Rounding off with an over 8,000 square-foot Community Center with capacity for 350 people, the entire complex has the flexibility to serve small events, accommodate weekend open swim, and to host large whole-campus events. The NNCCAC is equipped with underwater and overhead lighting for night events, and is fully accessible with multiple means of access including chairlifts and ADA compliant walk-out stairs. This universal design ensures patrons of all ages and capabilities have full access to all the amenities.
The NNCCAC brings the combination of new community center, aquatics complex and high school aquatics program together in one master facility. It was a collaboration between the City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department, Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby and the District 1 City Councilmember’s office, and the Natomas Unified School District (NUSD), as well as with the City Public Works Department to extend a roadway to better connect Inderkum High School to the facility and the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, the City partnered with Jibe, a community non-profit organization that promotes car-free activities, to provide all the bike racks to the facility, further promoting active transportation to and from the facility.
One of the most iconic pieces of the NNCCAC project is a large art sculpture titled “Between the Toes”, designed and installed by artist Terrence Martin of Jagged Edge Metal Art based in West Sacramento. This creates a meeting place within the facility and helps to deliver a sense of placemaking. The 15-foot-high flip flops are indicative of summers at the beach, and give the community the sense that this is a place for fun and activity. This sculpture was integrated into the pool deck to make it a focal point and create interaction and fun for visitors of the facility.
The Results
The aquatic center successfully hosted over 700+ young athletes and their families at its first regional invitational swim meet only a few short months after opening to the public. During the initial spring and summer season there were over 67,000 recreational swimming visits, 3,800 lap swimming visits, 5,000 water aerobics visits, and 765 sessions of swimming lessons at the facility. The facility is a hub for various swimming groups, including the Sacramento Masters, a group for swimmers 18 years and older, and the DART swimming club, which offers competitive and recreational youth swim team programming. It will also continue to be a place for the growing sport of water polo, with a pool deep and wide enough to accommodate a team. The community center has already hosted over 19 large event rentals.
The center has received positive feedback from the community, with residents excited about the convenience and recreational options it provides, especially for families with young children. This state-of-the-art joint-use community center and aquatics complex has become a significant asset to the Natomas community and exemplifies a successful partnership between the City of Sacramento and the NUSD. Hosting both high school and regional competitive aquatics programs, the facility provides opportunities for competitive swimmers, teaches basic water safety and swim skills, provides affordable and accessible recreational opportunities for children and families in Natomas and Sacramento, generates local jobs, contributes to the economy, and brings tourism to the region. As both an economic and placemaking generator, this project met and exceeded all expectations as an exciting community amenity.
AWARDS
2022 Award of Excellence for Facility Design, California Park & Recreation Society
2023 Aquatic Design Portfolio, Athletic Business Magazine
2023 Dream Design Award, Aquatics International Magazine
project data
Owner: City of Sacramento, CA
Client: Studio W Architects
Contractor: Otto Construction
Water Play / Waterslides: Whitewater
Date Completed: Spring 2022
Aquatics Budget: $7,990,000