Rendering of proposed Jr. Lifeguard headquarters
By : Victoria Kertz | Newport Beach Indy
The Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards need a new home.
Now in its 33rd year, the seven-week summer program teaches ocean safety and swimming to children ages nine through fifteen. It is so popular that the city runs both a morning and an afternoon session to accommodate the number of participants, all of which must pass a timed swim test before being allowed to join.
When it began in 1984, only 50 children took part and the organization was run from a single trailer on the sand.
Today, the junior lifeguards program has 1,400 participants in four divisions, but still operates out of portable trailers and temporary shipping containers parked on the sand near Balboa Pier. There is no running water and the children must use nearby public restrooms.
“The program has outgrown the current dilapidated, unsanitary temporary facilities,” said Graham Harvey, chairman of the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Foundation.
To find a solution, the foundation began working with the city of Newport Beach last year to develop plans for a permanent building to house the program.
The proposed structure, designed by the City of Newport Beach Lifeguard Department, Public Works, and the City Manager’s office, is a 4,895 square foot single story building. It will feature a training auditorium, youth bathrooms, locker rooms, a dedicated First Aid center, administrative offices, and space for secure storage.
The future headquarters is estimated to cost nearly $2.5 million. An extra $734,000 may be needed for inspections and testing, plus a $245,000 contingency fee.