Balfour Beatty and HMC Architects were awarded a $28 million design-build contract for the construction of Los Angeles County’s (LA County) San Gabriel Valley Aquatic Center in West Puente Valley, California. The highly anticipated, joint-use community center will provide vital aquatic and recreational resources for San Gabriel Valley residents and students of Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD).
Managed by LA County Public Works on behalf of LA County Department of Parks and Recreation, the San Gabriel Valley Aquatic Center will feature a new swimming facility and community park on a 3.1-acre site located within the former campus of Temple Academy elementary school. Balfour Beatty and HMC Architects will provide design and construction services for the aquatic center which includes the delivery of an Olympic-sized, 50-meter competitive swimming pool, a smaller practice and recreational pool, shaded bleachers and swim team areas, and state-of-the-art amenities to facilitate competitive swimming events and water sports.
Adjacent to the pool area, an approximately 10,800-square-foot building will be constructed featuring classroom space for swim teams and community events, offices, locker rooms with showers, public restrooms, and a break area for aquatic center staff. Another building, perpendicular to the first and framing the pool area, will house the pool’s extensive mechanical and maintenance equipment.
Additionally, the design-build team will deliver a one-acre park with exercise areas, a shade structure, pollinator garden, and a plaza and outdoor amphitheater for student and public use. The park will provide access to the adjacent County-owned and operated Allen J. Martin Park.
The new aquatic center will be Balfour Beatty’s and HMC Architects’ tenth design-build collaboration, a record of excellence that includes projects like the County of San Diego North Coastal Health and Human Services facility, MiraCosta College Health and Wellness Hub and more.
“Balfour Beatty is honored to work with HMC Architects on another exceptional design-build project and to build on our record of success constructing the highest quality academic and community aquatic centers in California,” said John Bernardy, Balfour Beatty executive vice president and business unit leader in California. “We’re excited to provide the West Puente Valley and HLPUSD communities a swimming center they can be proud of and excited to enjoy.”
“At HMC we focus primarily on opportunities to have the most direct contribution to communities,” said Brian Staton, HMC President and CEO. “We’re proud to partner with Balfour Beatty to make a positive impact on San Gabriel Valley’s residents and the students of HLPUSD with this beautiful new facility.”
In all indoor and outdoor spaces, Balfour Beatty and HMC will work closely with LA County to design an atmosphere that reflects the culture, colors and textures of San Gabriel Valley, as well as the community’s unique history and pride in their local swimming athletes. The project team will also deliver a center that embodies the La Puente name, which means “The Bridge.”
The design-build team will rely on critical community partnerships throughout construction, including collaboration between LA County’s departments of Public Works and Parks and Recreation, HLPUSD and Active SGV, as well as the West Puente Valley community at large, to deliver a facility that supports leisure and sport swimming and inspires community engagement and wellness
Construction for the new San Gabriel Valley Aquatic Center will start in July 2023 with an expected completion in November 2024.
