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An aquatic center run by the City of San Antonio may be coming to the city’s South Side. The proposed facility could potentially open in 2027 after city approval.
Voters approved the center in the 2022 bond package at a cost of about $5 million. The plans include a pool, a possible lazy river, a splash pad, bathhouse, and a parking lot on about 3.7 acres of land.
The proposed name is “Mission Aquatics Center” and it would be located at 3110 Roosevelt Avenue in Council District 3. The site is currently vacant and sits across from the city’s outdoor movie venue, Mission Marquee Plaza, World Heritage Center and next to the Harvey Najim YMCA and VFW Post on Roosevelt Avenue and VFW Boulevard.
Construction documents from Rialto Studio, the selected design contractor, indicate the land to be used for the project to be part of Mission San Jose.
“The property lies within the Mission Historic District on former Mission San Jose land. City archeology has determined that post-war suburbanization has removed all significant mission-period history from this site and, as such, no contributing resources likely remain,” a filing from September 2025 said.
The building’s architecture and design would match some of the existing neighborhood and feature a pool with lagoon entry for easy access. The pool area would include a design which draws inspiration from the Mission San Jose Rose Window, an iconic symbol also represented by the logo for the City of San Antonio.
“The pool will provide 3,020 square feet of water surface with a zero-entry child lagoon, accessible entry and egress, sunbathing platforms, lifeguard stations, a rinse shower, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, safety fencing with controlled entry,” the September filing said. A February 2024 meeting indicated the depth of the pool would be five feet.
Design plans also indicate the possibility of a lazy river being included in the final project.
The next step in the process is a final review from the city’s Historic Design and Review Commission on January 21.
If the plan is successful, the aquatics complex would join a portfolio of 25 pools that are owned and managed by San Antonio’s Parks and Recreation department, including an indoor natatorium.
Great Job Joey Palacios & the Team @ Texas Public Radio for sharing this story.
