West Hollywood Celebrates Completion of Aquatic and Recreation Center

West Hollywood City Council, dignitaries, board members, commissioners, the West Hollywood Park Phase 2 steering committee, past council members, and West Hollywood residents gathered at West Hollywood park for a celebration of the grand opening of the Aquatic and Recreation Center at West Hollywood Park, on Saturday, August 13, 2022. The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted an open house, and held the annual WeHo Rec Expo at the ARC.

“This is a very exciting day for us, more than you could ever know,” said West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “The City of West Hollywood is very excited to celebrate the completion of the Aquatic and Recreation Center, which we call ARC, and provide an opportunity for the community to visit and see the amenities at the ARC… The ARC is a vibrant new 75,000-square-foot space overlooking the heart of West Hollywood Park. With its exuberant design, the ARC has been envisioned as a gathering space for a range of community gatherings, special events, sports activities, and recreation programs. During the past three months, ARC programming has been debuted in a phased approach and the city looks forward to expanding programs and facility use during the fall season.”

Each council members took turns with welcoming remarks at the ARC open house.

Rick D’Amato, Design Director with LPA Design Studios, the architecture firm behind the ARC project, spoke about being happy to be at the event and he thanked the community for supporting the project. He shared anecdotes about how they come up with ideas for the park, including a nightmare that he had about a really big staircase, which led to the grand stairs in front of the ARC.

The event offered refreshments, snacks and swag bags while supplies lasted. City Staff gave guided tours, but attendees were allowed to roam the grounds on their own. There was music by the Harrison Jazz Ensemble band and plenty of photo ops.

The City Council also unveiled a dedication plaque that was covered with a Progress Flag with the message, “Everyone is Welcome Here.”

Following the official ribbon cutting, the entire city council jumped in the pool, not once, but twice to make sure the city photographer got the shot.

The ARC is four levels with a grand stairway entrance from the park or by elevator access from parking levels off of El Tovar Place. It features two gleaming rooftop swimming pools with captivating views. There is a large-scale multi-sport court that will accommodate a variety of indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, and dodgeball. The ARC also features five community meeting rooms and one conference room in addition to offices for staff from the City’s Recreation Services Division, a Tiny Tot program classroom, and a public access TV studio.

The WeHo Rec Expo was free and open to community members who are interested in learning more about the City’s recreation programs and events for children, adults, and older adults. Attendees will enjoy music, demonstrations, giveaways, and exciting activities that are sure to be fun for the entire family.

West Hollywood Park is now open to the public. Amenities include a new adult fitness equipment, expanded turf areas, restrooms, picnic areas, and Parallel Perpendicular by artist Phillip K. Smith III in the Robertson Gardens area. The playground at West Hollywood Park will open on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

For additional information about Recreation programs in the City of West Hollywood, including a link to access the latest issue of Rec Reader, please visit www.weho.org/recreation.