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Corona City outlines Auburndale Park renovation and plans to restore city-run aquatics by 2027
Summary
City staff presented a plan to renovate Auburndale Park beginning summer 2026 and to relaunch a city-run aquatics program, using Auburndale as a pilot with a target opening in May 2027; staff emphasized internal lifeguard training and grant-seeking to support cost recovery.
Corona City staff told the Parks & Recreation Commission that the long-dated Auburndale Community Center and pool will be rehabilitated and expanded, with construction slated to begin in summer 2026 and expected to last about nine to 12 months.
Mister Cortez, who led the presentation, said the campus — which dates to the 1970s and was purchased by the city in 2002 — needs upgrades including two new tennis courts, a playground (designed for ages 5–12), a half basketball court, concrete decking, pool replastering and new coping, accent and walkway lighting, and upgraded landscaping and irrigation. The project is intended to “open up the entire campus” and address ADA and aging infrastructure issues, Cortez said.
Luis Ponceano, the aquatics coordinator, outlined the city’s plan to bring city-run aquatics back after previous years of stop-start programming and a recent contract with the YMCA that has now concluded. Ponceano said the intent is to operate year-round and to move away from reliance on outside contractors by training an internal pipeline of junior lifeguards, lifeguards and instructors. The department plans to pursue American Red Cross instructor certifications for city staff and to provide in-house training and regular drills.
Staff presented a recruitment and training timeline: applications opening in September, interviews in December and onboarding in January, followed by internal certification and training. The team said the hoped-for public launch is May 2027 to align with the summer season.
On financing, Ponceano described a mixed cost-recovery approach: programs open to the public (open swim) will have lower recovery, while private rentals and lessons will recover more. The city intends to pursue grants such as Kaiser Permanente’s Operation Splash, Red Cross funding for equipment, and other national drowning-prevention grant opportunities to support programming and equipment purchases.
Commissioners asked about near-term availability and safety concerns. Commissioner Olsen noted the pool would be unavailable for 2026 and stressed the importance of swim lessons for young children; staff confirmed no aquatics programming at Auburndale in 2026 because of the planned construction and certification lead time. Cortez and Ponceano said that the pool depth will remain around eight feet, enabling both shallow and deep-water activities and outside training rentals.
Ponceano said the Auburndale site will serve as a pilot for larger aquatics plans at City Park and elsewhere, allowing the city to refine staffing models and operations before scaling up. Staff also said the city will market volunteer and partner opportunities, and assess rental and program fees as schedules finalize.
The commission received the report; no formal vote was recorded on the renovation or program plan at the meeting. The next step is staff follow-up with detailed programming schedules, fee proposals and grant applications.
