By Becky Maxedon
Once again, the Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation department has provided slides that RiverScene Magazine has digitized that continue to reveal the history of the city.
This time, a photo chronicle of the building of the Lake Havasu Aquatic Center provides the history lesson.
As Lake Havasu grew, the need for more and more public recreation also grew.
Parks and Recreation department director Dick Samp recognized the need for a public swimming pool facility.
According to Parks and Rec documents, in the early 1990s, Samp attended a National Parks and Recreation conference in Florida where he learned that the traditional rectangular swimming pools were no longer in vogue.
Samp, loaded with new innovative ideas, returned to Lake Havasu City with a proposal for a community center that would include not only a swimming pool but a gymnasium, meeting rooms, wave pool, water slide and other amenities.
Proposed Aquatic Center by Dick Samp. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Proposed Aquatic Center by Dick Samp. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Samp continued his quest with the city manager and city council. His ideas met with some opposition, but after meeting with community groups and organizations, he received approval from the city council to move forward with plans for the project. It became part of a five-year Capital Improvement Program funded through municipal bonds.
The Aquatic Community Center opened its doors in 1995, and in that same year, the center received the Arizona Parks and Recreation Outstanding Facility Award and was again recognized by the National Recreation and Parks Association receiving the 1997 Excellence in Aquatic Award.
Here are some photos of the building of the Aquatic Community Center during its development process.
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Aquatic Center groundbreaking Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo coutesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Aquatic Center Groundbreaking Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Scanner
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Scanner
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center pool in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center pool in early 1990s. courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Building the Aquatic Center in early 1990s. Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
Photo courtesy Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation
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