Council names aquatic center for Paul T. Nakamura

The Santa Fe Springs City Council voted Monday to name the city's renovated aquatic facility the Paul T. Nakamura Regional Aquatic Center in honor of a former lifeguard and resident who was killed while serving in Iraq.

Gus Hernandez, the director of park services, told the council the nomination met the city's naming criteria under the Santa Fe Springs Municipal Code (ordinance 11-54, section 10.24) and that inclusion of the word "regional" ensures compliance with a California Department of Parks and Recreation grant requirement tied to the renovation. Hernandez said a formal dedication ceremony would take place in summer 2026.

Why the name was proposed

Council members had previously given staff direction to return with a formal recommendation to name the facility after Paul T. Nakamura, a former Santa Fe Springs employee and lifeguard who died in 2003 while serving in Iraq. Hernandez said the nomination met the municipal code's process and criteria for naming a public facility after an individual and no additional advisory-committee review was required.

Council action

A council member moved to approve the naming; the motion was seconded and passed with unanimous "aye" votes. The staff presentation included a rendering of proposed signage and a note that the "regional" descriptor aligns the project with the $6,400,000 grant requirement cited by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Next steps

Following the vote, staff said they would proceed with preparations for a summer 2026 dedication. The council did not amend staff's recommendation at the meeting.