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Los Angeles County plans to build a $24.5 million aquatic center at Pioneer High School as shown by this map, courtesy of Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department.
Los Angeles County plans to build a $24.5 million aquatic center at Pioneer High School as shown by this map, courtesy of Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department.
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Pioneer High soon will be getting a 2-acre, $24.5 million regional aquatics center.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last week approved plans to build the center which will include a 50-meter Olympic-size swimming pool and a 25-meter practice pool. It will go on the school’s parking lot at the southeast corner of Washington and Pioneer boulevards.

“I am extremely excited for the community and especially my kids,” Pioneer Principal Lilia Bozigian said. “I feel it will help our kids and community build swimmers.”

The school’s boys and girls water polo and swimming teams will have access to the Olympic-size pool for practice, games and meets, Bozigian said.

Although the school is losing parking, the lot gets little use during the day, she said. The school also has other space for the food trucks that come during week nights and the swap meet on Saturdays, she said.

No date has been set for its opening, but the ground breaking is planned for fall 2019, said Liz Odendahl, spokeswoman for Los Angles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

The county is expected to offer recreational swimming, swim lessons, junior lifeguard training, synchronized swimming, water polo and diving. An Olympic-size competition pool will also provide a venue for master swim teams and will be certified for hosting official swimming competitions and water polo events.

The aquatic center also will include a building with offices, classrooms and restrooms.

This will be the first public pool to serve unincorporated West Whittier area, Hahn said in an emailed statement.

“For many of the residents in this community, even the closest county public pool is still too far away,” she wrote.

That’s about to change, she said. “Swimming is really a lifelong activity, and I cannot wait for residents of all ages to have the opportunity to enjoy their new public pool.”

Nearby city pools aren’t likely to be affected by the new aquatic center, officials from La Mirada and Whittier said.

“I consider ours more of a local pocket park pool,” said Greg Alaniz, director of parks, recreation and community services for Whittier, which operates the Palm Park pool. “Residents walk to our pool.”

Liza Soto, who manages La Mirada’s Splash facility, said new pools are a good thing for the area.

“It’s great for the community,” Soto said. “Any you time you open a pool, there’s more opportunity for kids to learn to swim.”

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