Facilities Closures

MAINTENANCE CLOSURES

• East Center is closed for plumbing repairs on Thursday, February 26 from 7:30am-5pm.
• The Santa Rita Springs footbridge will be closed for maintenance all day on Friday, February 27.
• The GVR Clay Studio is closed for countertop replacement construction from March 9–15. During this time, scheduled classes will be held in the studio classroom. All members are asked to please enter through the classroom door.
• The GVR Lapidary & Silversmith Club is making some updates. The West Center Lapidary room will be closed for renovations, and the Desert Hills Lapidary will be closed to the public as part of the club consolidation project. As of March 16, you can find all the club’s beautiful, hand-made jewelry for sale at the East Center location, 7 S. Abrego Drive. Thank you for your patience and support during this transition.
• The Canoa Hills Palo Verde and Saguaro rooms are closed for door removal and new installation on Tuesday, March 24 from 7:30-11:30am.
• The Canoa Hills Palo Verde and Saguaro rooms are closed for operable wall repair on Thursday, March 26 from 7:30am-4pm.
• The Abrego South pool, spa, and shower room buildings are closed. Shuffleboard, horseshoes, and sand volleyball are open and restrooms are available via the rec room. Drop-in users should anticipate traffic through the rec room.

Abrego South Pool Update: February 21, 2026

Demolition of the pool, pool deck, and locker room will begin on Friday, February 27 and is expected to wrap up on Friday, March 6. Members will be welcome to watch from inside the recreation room, or online HERE. Please stay well clear of the active work zone at all times. 

January 2025: Thank you to the 100+ people who attended this morning’s meeting about the Abrego South pool. Attendees provided a great deal of thoughtful feedback that will be very valuable for the next steps. Burton and Associates (architects) will now take their copious notes and begin working on concept drawings of the site. Those concept drawings will allow us to collect some general cost estimates for the GVR Board of Directors to consider. Once the GVR Board approves a plan, the real work will begin. If all goes as currently foreseen, we hope to open a new pool in the first quarter of 2027.

December 2025: Returning winter residents may be surprised to find the Abrego South aquatics facilities closed. To bring you all up to date:
The pool, spa, and changing rooms were closed in August due to rapidly advancing cracks in the building and pool and heaving on the pool deck that presented trip hazards. The Santa Rita Fire District and Pima County building services were involved in the closure decision.

A long-time Tucson-based geotechnical firm was consulted. They conducted an extensive on-site visit and took core samples from various locations around the pool deck. They found soils that have been repeatedly saturated by chronic plumbing failures. These failures are commonly seen when a 70s-era pool is at the end of its life. In the 1970s, pool builders did not yet recognize the need to compact soils well beyond the perimeter of the pool shell. Over time, these uncompacted soils naturally shift and settle, stressing and breaking the plumbing that serves the pool and spa. The leaks further destabilize the inadequately prepared soils and eventually, the integrity of the structures is compromised. See the December 3 Green Valley News cover article for a similar story.

GVR’s 2026 budget includes funding for the replacement of the pool, should the Board decide it is feasible to do so. The Board has directed staff to gather the information needed for the decision-making process. Staff solicited bids from architects to develop a design concept and associated cost estimates. Burton and Associates were the winning bidders. This week, we will engage their services.

Next Steps and ESTIMATED Timeline:

• December: Hire the architect (done today!)
• January: Community input needed. Meetings with the pool and recreation center users will help guide the design. Watch for announcements in the Friday Eblast and on-site at the Abrego South Center.
• April: A concept design with rough cost estimates will be submitted for review by the community and the GVR Board of Directors.
• April or May: GVR Board will consider the options and budget and make a decision.

Canoa Hills Fitness A/C Update: December 23, 2025

The HVAC is repaired.

Lightning and Pool Closures

GVR closes pools and clears pool decks whenever lightning is detected within five miles. The information can be found in the Corporate Policy Manual (CPM):

1.2.8 Special Uses, E. GVR Pool Management Policies

• GVR pools shall operate in compliance with Pima County Code Title 8, Chapter 8.322, Swimming Pool and Spas,” and any other applicable Pima County regulations.
• GVR staff has authority to close a swimming pool or spa if they determine that its operation and use presents danger to individuals.
• GVR determines when to close indoor and outdoor swimming pools and spas as a safety precaution.
  • Both outdoor and indoor pools will be evacuated before or when lightning is within five miles.
  • At the first signs of thunder or lightning occurring within five miles of an aquatic facility, all pool decks will close until 30 minutes after the last observed thunder or lightning.

Service Animals

Reminder: Only trained, working ADA service animals are allowed on GVR property. These animals are specifically trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities and must remain under their handler’s control at all times. Handlers are expected to ensure their service animal is well-behaved. Please note that therapy animals, emotional support animals, and pets are not permitted.

Lost and Found

GVR West Center Box Office at 1111 GVR Drive, 520-625-0288 (Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm)

Lost Something? We might have it. High-value items like jewelry, wallets, and electronics have been turned in and are waiting to be claimed. Valuables are held at the Box Office for 60 days. Everyday items such as towels and water bottles are held at the center where they were left behind, then donated after two weeks. Hygiene items and supplies are discarded. All donations go to the White Elephant.