Tolleson, a West Valley city of a little over 7,500 people, could one day host Summer Olympic trials.
The City of Tolleson is nearing completion on its first public pool and aquatic center since 2018.
The pool will feature a variety of amenities, including a nearly 26-foot waterslide, the largest lazy river in Arizona, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, said Randy Babchuk, parks, recreation, and aquatics director for the City of Tolleson.
The city is exploring using the pool for Special Olympics events and is in talks with the International Olympic Committee about using the pool for Summer Olympic trials, Babchuk said.
Nearby Tolleson High School will use the competitive pool for the school's swim team, which had been using a pool in Avondale for the past
eight years, he added.
Work on the pool will wrap up between December 2026 and January 2027. The pool is expected to open sometime between March 2027 and April 2027, Babchuk said.
Work also continues on a retail area next to the aquatic center. It will feature four retail spaces for rent.
The aquapark offers Tolleson residents an opportunity to enjoy water activities for the first time since 2018.
That's when a pool run by the Tolleson Union High School District at nearby Tolleson High School closed, Babchuk said. The high school used the pool for its swim team, and it was open to the community for recreation and swim lessons.
That pool was first built in the 1960s and had undergone renovations in the 1980s and early 2000s, according to past reporting from The Arizona Republic. Babchuk said the pool was "very affordable" for residents at the time.
Then-Tolleson City Manager, Reyes Medrano Jr., told The Arizona Republic in 2009 the pool was a "staple of our community."
The pool was closed due to "aging infrastructure," according to a post on the Tolleson website. The high school district put a science building over it.
Former Tolleson Mayor Anna Tovar "made it a point" to build an aquatic center, Babchuk said. Tovar campaigned for bonds to help pay for the aquatic center shortly after the first pool was closed, Babchuk said.
In 2020, Tolleson residents approved a bond of $21 million to help pay for the construction of the aquatic center, Babchuk said. The park will cost $36.8 million.
The rest of the pool's funding will come from the city's discretionary funds, about $15.8 million. The pool also received a $1 million donation from JBS USA, a Brazilian cattle company that backed another company's purchase of Hickman's Family Farms in 2025.
Babchuk said Tolleson aims to keep the new aquatic center affordable for its residents. The city is exploring different options to offset the costs, such as sponsorships and partnerships.
"We want to make sure that they can enjoy it," Babchuk said.
The city started construction on the pool in 2024. Construction started four years after the bond was approved because of delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Babchuk said the city held several community meetings where the residents weighed in on what they wanted to see there.
"At the top of the list was a slide. A lot of our residents don't drive or don't have the means to drive out to a water park and things like that," Babchuk said.
Babchuk said the city added two nearly 26-foot water slides in response to the community's input. The aquatic center will also feature two event spaces that residents can rent out for special events.
"We definitely see it as a place where the community and residents can come together," Babchuk said. He said the city envisions the space as a place where "old friends, new friends" and families can create memories with the community.
David Ulloa Jr covers the southwest Valley communities of Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Litchfield Park and Gila Bend. Reach him at david.ulloa@azcentral.com. Follow him on Instagram & X, formerly Twitter, @davidulloa_ii.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Olympics courted for new $37M waterpark in this Arizona city
