YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima community has a new way to beat the heat this summer with the opening of the YMCA Rotary Aquatic Center at MLK Jr Park. The center opened its doors to the public, marking the first full day of business.
The aquatic center was completed after 13 months of construction and cost approximately $13 million. Families gathered eagerly outside the center before it opened, ready to enjoy the new facility despite the slightly cooler weather.
“This is just another one of our great facilities that we make available for the community to come and enjoy and make memories and get a little exercise,” said Ken Wilkinson, Parks and Recreation Manager for Yakima.
Wilkinson shared details about the various activities available at the center.
“Something for everyone. So we have the zero depth here for the young ones and maybe those that don’t want to get very wet all the way to the Ninja Cross. For those that are very adventurous and want to hang and swing and splash, and also the big slide behind me, that’ll be a real big hit as well,” he said.
The funding for the aquatic center came from several sources.
“We have to thank our county commissioners. They gave $3 million to help build this. The city of Yakima gave $3 million. The state legislator, Senator King, and some of his peers gave over $2 million through legislative funds. But the most important part of this is the community raised over $3 million to build this facility as well,” stated Wilkinson.
Wilkinson also expressed his hopes for the community’s use of the facility.
“We want people to keep coming back, not just come once or twice during the summer, but to come back a lot and do a lot of different things throughout the summer,” he added.
The facility will be open from 12:30 p.m. until evening throughout the summer, providing ample opportunity for residents to enjoy the new aquatic center. Specific times can be found on the city’s website.
