Construction has replaced swimmers and water polo players this summer as the Miramonte pool undergoes a $2.5 million renovation. The pool is expected to reopen in September with a new deck, plaster, lighting, starting blocks and other upgrades.
Things looked very different at the Bill Brown Aquatic Center this summer. The steady stream of swimmers and water polo players jumping in and out of the pool were replaced by construction workers taking apart and building back the Miramonte pool and deck.
If reconstruction continues to run smoothly, the pool is expected to reopen in October with the high school water polo season already in full swing.
Tommy Rodriguez, the Facilities Director for Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD), is enthusiastic about the project’s progress.
“The Miramonte High School pool renovation has reached an exciting milestone as the project transitions into the build-back phase,” he said. “With demolition and preparation work largely complete, the focus is on installing the new features that will transform the facility. The renovation represents a significant investment in preserving and modernizing one of the district’s premier athletic facilities while improving safety, functionality, energy efficiency and preparing the pool for future enhancements.”
The final administrative hurdle came after receiving only one bid, unexpectedly coming in double the budgeted amount last fall. The district pivoted with the best alternative given its funding constraints. Phase 1 will address the crumbling pool and deck, and Phase 2 will bring the locker rooms into compliance.
Preparations for Phase 1 began after the regular high school swim season concluded in May and then work began on a variety of projects:
Complete replacement of the pool plaster finish.
Pool deck replacement.
New starting blocks.
New energy-efficient LED underwater pool lighting.
A new Musco LED sports lighting system, providing improved lighting quality while reducing energy consumption and long-term maintenance.
Improved pool gutter system and associated fittings.
Replacement of aging pool accessories and supporting equipment.
Construction of a structural foundation and electrical infrastructure to support a video scoreboard.
Painting and other site improvements to refresh facility appearance.
Measure E, the now-expired 2008, 10-year bond measure, provided funding to update some AUHSD facilities, but could not be used for the Miramonte pool. The combination of a long laundry list of necessary facility upgrades, maintenance and a tight budget required community support and funds to make the renovation whole.
The Miramonte Boosters set up the Mats Fund, launching its first fundraising project in 2024, and succeeded in raising nearly $350,000 from generous individuals to make important upgrades possible, and the swim team’s lapathon will replace the worn starting blocks.
AUHSD is paying $2.5 million for Phase 1 and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Nick Carpente explained the constraints on those funds.
“The pool is being funded by facility rental fees and state matching funds for facility modernization,” he said. “Both of these funding sources can only be used for facilities and cannot be used for general education expenditures.”
The community has waited quite a while for the upgrades, and pools are being used by more people, nearly year-round.
In the past, Miramonte’s pool had limited use outside the high school swim and water polo seasons but things have changed.
“Two decades ago, the Miramonte pool was closed between high school water polo and swim seasons,” said Coordinator of Aquatics for AUHSD John Studebaker. “And they were used by then Miramonte Swim Club (now Orinda Moraga Swim Club) in the late spring evenings and summers and limited use by Lamorinda Water Polo Club.”
It’s a lot different now. “In the past year, the Miramonte pool was closed for only five days,” Carpenter said – and soon it will be that busy again.