Arvada Aquatics Center

Delivering a modern aquatics destination that expands recreation, programming, and competitive opportunities for the community.

Saunders completed the replacement of the aging George C. Meyers Pool with the new Arvada Aquatics Center, providing the community with a larger, modern facility designed to support both recreational and competitive swimming for decades to come.

Originally constructed in 1979, the existing pool had reached the end of its useful life, with building systems and materials increasingly affected by the demanding conditions of an aquatic environment. Saunders was selected as the CM/GC partner to construct the new facility and oversee demolition of the original building.

Because the pool served as a valued community resource, the project was strategically delivered in three phases to keep the existing facility operational for as long as possible during construction. The new aquatics center was built within the existing parking area, allowing community members to continue using the original pool until the final phase, when the old facility was demolished and converted into parking for the new center.

The completed Arvada Aquatics Center offers expanded space and enhanced amenities that support a broader range of recreational programming, including swim lessons, fitness classes, and community activities. The facility also provides improved accommodations for competitive swimming and large-scale swim meets, creating a premier aquatic destination for residents of all ages and abilities.

Some key improvement features include:

• Additional dedicated seating for spectators
• Secondary 25-yard pool for community use and programming
• Universal changing rooms to provide greater ADA accessibility and inclusive space for families
• Expanded parking capacity
• Designed to achieve LEED Silver certification
• Advanced filtration system to conserve water

The diving area includes:

• Three 3-meter manufactured diving stands
• Three 1-meter manufactured diving stands
• On-deck warming showers for use between dives
• Cameras for recording dives and overhead safety harness for training purposes

The new facility and additional amenities provide the Arvada community with an asset that has the potential to draw in additional swimming competition and tourism while providing a modernized and high-quality facility for local competitive swimmers who call the facility home.

This project received multiple industry awards, including:

• 2025 Best Project for Sports/Entertainment from Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mountain States
• 2025 Award of Merit for Safety from ENR Mountain States
• 2025 Top Projects Award from ColoradoBiz

Renderings courtesy of OLC.