MORGANTOWN, W.Va — The Mylan Park Aquatic Center dedication was held Friday along with the first competitive swimming event.
Seven men and women’s swimming and diving teams will join WVU for a competition at the center this weekend including teams from Alderson-Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Marshall, Salem, WVU Tech and West Virginia Wesleyan.
Mylan Park Board President Ron Justice said five years of planning, organization and effort culminated with the Friday dedication.
“Today is very special for what we have here in Morgantown and I think the community will be very proud of it,” Justice said,”I don’t think people realize until they get into the facility just how big it is and the different amenities here.”
The state-of-the-art 90,000 square foot facility includes a 50-meter Olympic pool and diving well, community pool with zero-depth entry, water slides and play features, a six lane lap pool and an outdoor splash pad. The layout allows competitive events and community to go on simultaneously.
Justice said the project was built from start to finish with zero tax dollars.
“The project was based upon user rental agreements,” Justice said,”Obviously the big thrust was the charitable gift from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust of $15 million that made this happen, but, not for that gift this vision could not have been realized.”
Monongalia County Commissioner Sean Sikora believes this facility, including the aquatic center will offer a lucrative future to the county.
“We have the state swimming tournament here, it was at the Natatorium so I suspect we’ll have the state tournament here for a long time to come,” Sikora said,”We have the Big 12 in February, this is the first time someone other Texas is hosting the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship, that is already on the books.”
Annual and monthly individual and family memberships are available from $45 to $1,512.