Plan for Newport Beach’s first public pool located on the harbor

At that time, council members also approved money for architects and engineers to consider the project’s design. Other ideas from the community for what to do with the land had included an aquarium – an idea floated by two harbor commissioners – or an educational center.

Now that councilmembers have given the first steps their OK, the project will require at least a year of study and permitting and that will include extensive public input, officials said. They said construction could start in the winter of 2026 and be completed by spring 2028.

The pool would be the city’s first. Recreational programs are held in pools shared with the Newport Mesa Unified School District. But officials said the schedule there is already jam-packed with competitive school events, and programming has suffered because there is not enough time for both uses.

“When you think about Newport Beach, the world-class athletes, the swimmers, the water polo players, they’ve had to go outside the city to compete in anything,” Stapleton said.

The centerpiece of the swim complex would be a 50-meter pool suitable for lap swimming, year-round swim lessons, and a water polo league, among other uses.

There would also be a heated therapy pool that would provide opportunities for senior therapy programs, water aerobics, aqua yoga, and injury rehabilitation programs. The center would also include a 360-square-foot splash pad. The complex would house meeting rooms and there would be a place for launching kayaks and other human-powered vessels.

“I just want to create a world-class venue where people can enjoy the aquatic nature of Newport Beach,” Stapleton said. “So people don’t have to go out of town for swimming, for water polo, lessons and therapy. This splash pad for toddlers, we’re kind of touching all ages here, from newborns to legacy members of our community who are looking for therapy. It’s a good opportunity to showcase the aquatic nature of our city.”

It is estimated it would cost about $1.5 million a year to operate the facility.

Stapleton said the project will be a public-private partnership like the Newport Library Lecture Hall now under construction and the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard building that opened this summer.

“The most important thing about this is that it’s a public-private partnership,” Stapleton said. “The reality is this is going to be funded 50% from the city and 50% from the community. We’ve got a lot of people that are really excited by this. It’s just a great opportunity.”