Mission Viejo City Council Approves $10 Million Marguerite Renovations

Renovation plans for the storied Marguerite Aquatics Center, home of the Mission Viejo Nadadores, have unanimously been approved by the Mission Viejo City Council this week.

We reported back in February how the aging swim and diving complex, once home to diving great Greg Louganis, still meets the minimum standards for national and international competitions, but that the facility is in need of repairs and displays signs of deterioration.

At the time the renovations were proposed, Nadadores Board members argued that the Orange County facility simply lacks additional features for which newer facilities have and sanctioning bodies are looking.

Although originally presented with a price tag of $7.8 million, the now estimated $10 million renovation will include a new dive tower featuring 12-foot-wide platforms, rendering Marguerite the only facility in the West Coast capable of hosting synchronized diving competitions.

A new dive office swim school office and ‘complete face lift’ around the pool deck are also included in the plans, estimated to take approximately 13 months to complete.

“I think it’s safe to say that when you invest in your community, it’s pretty amazing what will happen,” Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Bucknum told The OC Register.

“We see a bright future for our team,” said Kimberly Barnes, a Nadadores board member. “We owe so much to so many and we are humbled and proud of who we are as a team in the community of Mission Viejo.” (The OC Register)

In the meantime, the Nadadores will be training at area high schools while their facility is under repair. Trabuco Hills High School, Sierra Recreation Center and Mission Viejo High School are just three of the facilities at which the squad will travel during the next 12+ months.

The facility’s renovations coincide with another major change for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, as former U.S. National Team head coach, Mark Schubert, is returning to the head coach post at the club.

Schubert originally coached for Mission Viejo from 1972 to 1985, training a small army of Olympians and winning 44 national team titles and multiple ASCA Coach of the Year awards. He is taking over for retiring head coach Bill Rose.

AB