The University of Arizona approved $15 million in renovations in late 2017 to rebuild the school’s outdoor 50 meter Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, and have now released the full plans for the new facility, including artist’s representations of what the finished facility will look like.
The most noticeable change, which includes a fully rebuilt tank, is that the pool will now be expanded to 65 meters from 50 meters, with upgrades also being made to the old diving well (which was no longer really used for competition diving), which will be absorbed into the new 65-meter course. This will allow the pool to run long course meters and short course yards training simultaneously, and offer more flexibility for the pool’s use.
Hillenbrand Aquatic Center Renovations
- Rebuild and expand the 50-meter pool to 65 meters, including the old diving well.
- Increase the number of 25-yard short course lanes from 18 to 22.
- Replace and significantly upgrade the pump and plumbing infrastructure.
- Starting April 1, 2018 with a goal of being completed by Jan. 1, 2019.
The pool was last renovated in 2008, when a new diving well was added,
The project is part of a $66 million upgrade to Arizona’s facilities tht includes a renovation to the football stadium, new seating areas for the softball stadium, a new indoor sports center primarily for use by the football team, and new locker rooms in the McKale Center.
Arizona has another training and competition pool on campus, the Kassler Family Pool, which is 33 meters by 25 meters and includes a full compliment of diving apparatus up to a 10 meter platform, as well as a rec center pool.
Arizona joins a host of other Pac-12 schools that have new or newly-renovated aquatics facilities, including USC’s new Uytengsu Aquatics Center and the new Legends Aquatics Center.
Artists renderings of the renovation are below.
Courtesy: Arizona Athletics
Courtesy: Arizona Athletics
Courtesy: Arizona Athletics
any word on the pool depth? In addition to being well past its prime, the old pool was too shallow. I hope they convert to an all-deep pool like those in Mesa or ASU. While this will be a nice and much needed upgrade, we really need one, world-class indoor facility in the state. Arizona’s wonderful for training, but pretty miserable place for racing about 10 months out of the year – either too cold from November through March, or too hot from May through September. Maybe Mr. Bowman can get ASU to build an indoor pool when they tear down Mona Plummer (rumored to be soon???)
I think it is supposed to be 8 ft deep across the entire pool
um why 65 meters? that’s really LOOONG course training!
There will be two bulk heads I believe, this will allow for the college meets being held to be directly in front of the stands!
Very cool! Yay for keeping fan viewing in mind.
Why is the diving well not used anymore?
It was an old diving well, not very big. May have been a safety issue, not sure. Once they built the new 33×25 well, it just became obsolete. I think it was used for diving, for some running start dive stuff by AZ swimmers, etc., just not by the divers.
It was a 15m X 12.5 yard pool. Awesome for ultra short course relays, but that’s about it. With a real diving well installed, its use was essentially obsolete.
Justin is the best. He’s getting super jacked out in Arizona right now