Florida International University’s Aquatic Center re-opens after two years

NORTH MIAMI (Jan. 14, 2009) – The Biscayne Bay Campus Recreation Department will host the re-opening celebration of the Aquatic Center, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and separate diving well that has been closed for almost two years.

The Open House & Ribbon Cutting ceremony, to be held on Thursday, January 22 at 10 a.m., is free and open to the public and will include an aquatic-themed brunch buffet, raffle, prizes and entertainment. Guests may enter the event through the Student Fitness Center located inside the Wolfe University Center 160 on FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151^st Street in North Miami.

The Aquatic Center, which will be open to the public Monday through Friday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a separate diving well with a 1 meter and 3 meter board.  It hosts the FIU’s division 1A women’s swim and dive team, an interactive classroom for marine biology students, swim classes for the FIU youth summer program, swim meets and water polo matches for high schools, and recreation activities for local families.  The pool is open to the community for a minimal charge, which includes access to the fitness center and all outdoor recreational activities on the Biscayne Bay Campus, including kayaking, totaling 75,000 square feet.

Improvements to the pool and diving well cost $800,000.  They include: a new pool surface, updated diving blocks, new deck surface for both pools, updated landscaping, painting of facility, updated pump room, repairs to spalling of re-bar on the deck and exterior walls, new furniture and new graphics.

The Aquatic Center has been a hot spot for aquatic photo shoots and aquatic scenes in motion pictures such as The Manchurian Candidate and Bad Boys II.  Aquatic programming at the beautifully renovated center will include student pool parties, learn to swim classes, water polo, free diving, American Red Cross lifeguarding and water safety instruction courses and a summer youth swim academy.

For more information, please contact Elias Bardawil at 305.904.6297 or Christina Reddick at 305.919.4549 or 305.877.2690.

-FIU-

About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, FIU graduates more Hispanics than any other university in the country. Its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University.” In 2006 FIU was authorized to establish a medical school, which will welcome its first class in 2009. FIU’s College of Law recently received accreditation in the fastest time allowed by the American Bar Association.