Paul T. Nakamura Regional Aquatic Center Earns APWA Project of the Year

The recognition celebrates a project that brought significant improvements to an important community destination.

Enhancing a Community Aquatic Center

The improvements were designed to expand the ways residents can enjoy the Paul T. Nakamura Regional Aquatic Center while creating a more comfortable and versatile environment for recreation and wellness.

New and enhanced amenities include a family-friendly sprayground, a dedicated spa for wellness and therapeutic use, expanded shade, and improved cabana, concession, and seating areas. Together, these upgrades help create a more welcoming experience for visitors throughout the facility.

Delivering the improvements also required the project team to navigate the complexities that come with renovating an existing facility. Construction uncovered buried former foundations, uncertain utility locations and capacities, legacy structural conflicts, electrical service needs, evolving agency requirements, adverse weather, and late-stage commissioning challenges.

The City and construction management team responded through weekly coordination meetings, technical workshops, near-term schedule reviews, field investigations, cost controls, staff training, inspections, and progressive punch walks. City operations, building, water, and parks staff remained actively involved through the aquatic center's opening in August 2026.

A Facility with a Meaningful Legacy

The center itself carries a significance that extends beyond recreation. It honors Paul T. Nakamura, a Santa Fe Springs resident and former City lifeguard and swim instructor who was killed in action in Iraq in 2003 while serving as an Army medic.

That history makes the continued investment in the aquatic center especially meaningful, helping preserve an important community gathering place while carrying Paul T. Nakamura's name and legacy forward.