The Shafter Aquatic Center is preparing to reopen Saturday after several years of refurbishment and construction, commemorating the reopening with a ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by open swim from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Assistant City Manager Mike James said the project has been years in the making."I couldn't be prouder of what the council has done to make this project possible, and I really couldn't be prouder of city staff delivering on this project, which has been very complex and complicated at times. But they've delivered swimmingly," James said. "I'm expecting to see a lot of people, a lot of excited people, just based on the feedback we've received so far," James said.To staff and manage the Shafter Aquatic Center, the city contracted with the Sports Facilities Companies, and newly-minted General Manager Brian T. Roe said the community's commitment to getting the pool open has been remarkable and will be a great addition to the community."Completely blows my mind. The commitment that this community has to getting this pool open and running, and the city staff, the city council, city leadership they've been all over it. Giving us everything we need to get this facility open, and it's a first-class facility too," Roe said. "It's a young community, and not having any swim lessons for the young community for people that will learn how to swim is a safety thing."Roe said Saturday's opening is only a preview of what is planned for the facility going forward."Just opening it right now, you're only going to see just a small sliver of what we got planned here: programming, competition, swim lessons, water aerobics. That's what we're looking to put into place this time next year. You're going to see all kinds of activity at this pool, and it's going to be a different kind of feel and a different kind of energy than it's ever had before," Roe said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracyStay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less