Making a Splash

By: Holly Kramer, Staff Writer

Making a splash ... Tyler Keen and Blue Valley West High School Para Educator Madison Loughlin take a whirl around the lazy river at the Blue Valley Recreation’s aquatic center, 6545 W. 151st St., Overland Park. A grand opening for the facility will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

The Blue Valley Recreation Center is preparing to welcome swimmers to a new aquatic facility.

The 16,665-square-foot, $4.8 million indoor facility includes a 25-meter lap swim area, a lazy river and a zero-depth beach area. The facility, 6545 W. 151st St., also has a lounge and lobby area as well as classrooms.

A grand opening will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

The facility will be the site for Learn to Swim classes that have been held at Blue Valley Northwest High School, as well as adult fitness classes, lifeguard training and open swim.

“We conducted a citizens survey and the need for the Learn to Swim classes and the aquatics in general was one of the highest needs found in the community,” Blue Valley Recreation Executive Director Steve Baysinger said. “We had begun the construction before we did the survey but that feeds into what we will be providing. We’ve been striving to stay ahead of the needs of the community.”

Aquatics Supervisor Darla Letts said the facility, which has 30 lifeguards on staff, will serve a broad range of people.

“People can come and do lap swimming in June and July and we’ll offer times during the day for that,” Letts said. “There will be adult and senior fitness classes and lap swimming in the morning. We’ll be open from 6 in the morning to 6 p.m. I think that will help in serving the needs in our community.”

To better serve families, the facility has several family dressing rooms, Letts said.

“The family dressing rooms provide a place to get kids of different ages to get ready to swim with their parents,” Letts said. “We have lots of people that come in with one or more child and this should be helpful.”

The facility accommodates programs for special needs children, Baysinger said.

“We keep our water much warmer, which is good for the adaptive swim program,” Baysinger said. “It’s between 84 to 85 degrees. One of the challenges of the Learn to Swim program is that when you have a 3-year-old child in there, this makes a much more comfortable situation.”

Letts said the aquatic center will provide a needed service.

“This is unique in this area because usually you have to be a member of a gym to use an aquatic facility,” Letts said. “It’s a great addition to this center.”

FAST FACTS

Blue Valley Recreation aquatic center is open from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays through May 30 and 1 to 6:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through June 1.

For more information, visit www.bluevalleyrec.org.

Contact Holly Kramer at 385-6068 or

hollykramer@sunpublications.com.