Mission Manor Aquatic Center Groundbreaking

On Wednesday, we gathered with southside residents to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Mission Manor Aquatic Center! For decades, Mission Manor Pool has been the only pool and park serving the residents of Ward 1 and Ward 5. A beloved gathering space, it was here that children learned to swim, and families enjoyed access to cool down in the summer. The $6.2 million dollar investment will create a remodeled space that will include a zero-entry recreation pool, a heated therapy pool, splash pad, new pool house, shade structures and native landscaping.

I want to thank Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz who has been working to ensure that the residents of Ward 1 have access to parks and connections that are worthy of all who use them. Mission Manor Aquatic Center is made possible thanks to Tucson voters who passed Prop 407 and thanks to the work of the late Congressman, Raúl Grijalva who advocated for the City of Tucson to receive $2.9 million in federal funding so that we could complete this project. The Mission Manor Aquatic Center is funded by a combination of Proposition 407 ($1.64 million), Impact Fees ($530,000), Framework funding ($950,000), Community Project Funding ($2.9 million), Tohono O’odham Gaming Grant ($150,000), and Tucson Water Green Stormwater Infrastructure ($281,000) dollars.

At the groundbreaking, we heard stories by residents like Sunnyside Neighborhood President Yolanda Herrera and her sister Beki Quintero, who Chairs the City of Tucson Parks and Rec Commission. They have been advocating on behalf of southside residents for decades. They grew up in this neighborhood and shared what it meant to have Mission Manor Pool many years ago, and how important it will be to have this resource back after being closed for the last 16 years.

At the event, I joined Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz to announce that we will begin the work to rename Mission Manor Park after Congressman Grijalva and the Mission Manor Aquatic Center in honor of his wife Ramona “Mona” Grijalva

Ruben Reyes and Cassandra Becerra, representing Congressional District 7, shared stories of public spaces like Mission Manor Pool and remembered the legacy of Congressman Grijalva. Congressman Grijalva understood the power of place and of gathering. He knew that parks and spaces such as these bring people together, build a sense of care for each other and our city, create the backdrop for our stories and are the heart of our communities.

Together, we can do great things.