Westside Natatorium opens to the public

The Westside Natatorium officially opened its doors on Saturday.

The facility includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool that is up to USA Swimming standards.

“We’re missing out on other regional competitions for swimming that are going to Lubbock, that are going to Tucson, that are going to other communities,” district 1 city representative Peter Svarzbein said. “We need to be able to be competitive with them, and this kind of facility is one step closer towards that.”

The $15.5 million natatorium was part of the 2012 Quality of Life Bond. Construction began in 2016. “Being able to bring joy to the citizens is one of the great things about doing this job,” Svarzbein said. Aaron Sepulveda is a lifeguard at the new facility. He said the natatorium can inspire young swimmer. “It’s going to inspire a lot of people to start swimming,” Sepulveda said. “Swim teams will grow, and I think overall it’s just going to become a more popular sport.”