After more than 50 years in the making, Southwestern College dedicated and cut the ribbon to the new Wellness & Aquatics Complex on the Chula Vista campus. Hundreds of students, employees and community members filled the bleachers on the pool deck to hear the story of its construction and to take tours of the new $52 million, three-story facility.
Built on the corner of East H Street and Otay Lakes Road, the 75,000 square-foot facility contains a gymnasium, fitness labs, cardio workout rooms, multiple team locker rooms and classrooms. It’s also home to two Olympic-sized swimming pools and a 25-meter therapy pool.
“This facility is a huge blessing to all student athletes,” said Betsy Rozow, a Jaguar swimmer who spent all last year practicing at pools in National City. “It has strengthened our athletic community.”
The complex was designed by the architecture firm Gensler, who also designed the DeVore Stadium Fieldhouse, and was built by Balfour Beatty construction company with the help of local union plumbers, electricians and more.
Coming this summer is the Health First Fitness Club and memberships for students not enrolled in exercise science classes, employees and community members to utilize the state-of-the-art facilities. Membership presales begin in March. People interested in memberships can email hffc@swccd.edu or visit https://www.healthfirstfitnessclub.com/ for more information.
The Wellness & Aquatics Complex was funded by Proposition R, a $389 million dollar general obligation bond passed by South Bay voters in November 2008. The facility replaces the college’s pools and gymnasium that have been demolished to make room for the next Proposition R project, the new Math, Science & Engineering Building, scheduled to open in fall 2019.
