That big splash today in downtown Elkhart?

That’s the opening of the game-changing Elkhart Health & Aquatics Center in the heart of the city’s River District.

Excitement built steadily over the last two years of construction and hundreds flocked to preview nights and open houses ahead of the opening Thursday, July 18, 2019.

At the “ribbon” cutting ceremony (actually it was banner of colorful pennants used at swimming pools) on Monday, July 15, leaders lauded the collaboration and public-private partnerships that made the $70 million, 170,000-square-foot aquatics center a reality.

The “ribbon” cutting ceremony on Monday, July 15, 2019, actually featured a ribbon of pennants used in swimming facilities.

Elkhart Health & Aquatics will include:

• A competition pool with seating for 1,200 spectators.
• Racquetball and squash courses.
• Exercise studios and a “fitness floor” for weights and exercise equipment.
• An indoor running track.
• A gym equipped for two full basketball courts or a number of other sports.
• A sports medicine and physical therapy clinic.
• A therapy pool, lap pool, and whirlpool.

“This is going to be a mecca,” one of the aquatics center visitors said Monday.

While memberships are being sold for the pool and fitness areas, there is considerable free public access to the facility. A community center, called The Commons,” takes up one end of the building and includes a large atrium, a separate meeting room, and a smaller library. Free public hours for the pool will be on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

A large atrium is intended to be a community gathering place for the Elkhart Health & Aquatics Center.

During a sneak peek for the media and various dignitaries Monday, Mayor Tim Neese said the aquatics center will make a positive difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. He added that the center’s opening will help Elkhart “take its place among the great American cities.”

The lion’s share of the project budget came from private investors, both individuals and businesses, combining with investments from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, Beacon Health System and Elkhart Community Schools that helped leverage $9 million from the state of Indiana’s Regional Cities program. The project is the largest to have been completed from the Vibrant Communities Action Agenda that was built from community input in 2016.

The Vibrant Communities movement is getting serious about the numbers, and the next Community Champions Roundtable will offer a more in-depth look at how we will measure “vibrancy” in Elkhart County.

From 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 25, community leaders representing a wide diversity of sectors — the arts, business, parks, economic development, non-profit, and more — are invited to attend the next Community Champions Roundtable from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday, July 25, at the brand new Elkhart Health Fitness and Aquatics Center, 200 E. Jackson Blvd., Elkhart.

The sparkling new gem of Elkhart County was selected as the location partially because it represents one of the biggest tangible areas of progress since Vibrant Communities launched in 2016 to advocate for investment in quality of place and placemaking as a means toward economic development, talent attraction and retention, and community pride.

Zachary Schrank of Indiana University South Bend will be the primary speaker. Schrank, an assistant professor at IUSB’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, has been leading a study of the key measurable indicators that reveal aspects of Elkhart County’s vibrancy. The study includes a significant survey of Elkhart County residents and their views of this community.

Schrank’s talk will include a review of the metrics that are being measured and why they are important. There will also be an opportunity for small-group discussion on these topics.

While the vibrancy metrics data is still being gathered and analyzed, a summary of the findings will be made available when ready on the Vibrant Communities website.

Community leaders interested in attending should email Cindy Ostrom at [email protected]. The event will include breakfast and, afterward, tours of the new Elkhart Health Fitness and Aquatics Center will be offered.