Santa Clara’s George F. Haines International Swim Center has been closed for more than a year, leaving the city’s aquatics community and legacy foundering.
The city closed the swim center in January 2024, citing structural safety issues after years of neglect. The renovations are so extensive that the complex needs to be completely overhauled, city spokesperson Janine de la Vega said. The full revamp has yet to begin, but until then, the city has set aside $2 million for repairs to temporarily reopen with a limited 200-person capacity. Those repairs began Jan. 13.
The city will have about $45 million from recently passed Measure I, an infrastructure bond, to apply toward the aquatic facilities, including the swim center’s rebuild. But De la Vega said it’s not uncommon for projects of this scale to exceed that cost. The initial work has already unearthed previously unknown structural problems, such as rebar damage, she said. While the city has enough contingency funds to cover the extra repairs, it will likely delay the opening date, originally slated for April…