The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center will host Olympic diving in two years, but key details about how the venue will fund operations during and after the Games remain unresolved.

Executive Director Melanie Sauer briefed Pasadena's Senior Commission on Tuesday, July 14, at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, outlining a three-phase plan for the 2028 LA28 Games and flagging challenges the nonprofit facility still needs to overcome.

New tower, new mechanicals, old questions

Planned upgrades include a new diving tower, enhanced facilities, and new mechanical systems. LA28 is responsible for renovations tied to the Olympic competition itself, according to the center's public FAQ. But any improvements beyond what the Games require will fall on the center to fundraise from donors, partners, and the community.

The formal agreement between RBAC and LA28 has not been signed. The center's FAQ states it "is still being finalized," with no target date announced. The scope of construction work is still being determined, and whether additions like permanent spectator stands will remain after the Games has not been confirmed.

Programs displaced, capacity maxed out

During the Games, LA28 will take exclusive use of the facility. RBAC plans to relocate its programs through an "RBAC on the Road" initiative, but the presentation identified immediate challenges: finding pool space with parking, securing office space during displacement, and funding expanded programming and workforce development.

The center's program-space capacity is already at 100% and 97% across its facilities, according to the presentation materials. Post-Games challenges include reengaging the community, retaining staff, sustaining financial assistance programs, and balancing competitive and recreational use.

Those aren't abstract concerns. In 2025, RBAC taught more than 123,000 swim lessons, provided more than 16,000 lessons to Pasadena Unified School District students, awarded more than $188,000 in financial assistance, and logged over 400,000 visits.

Full-circle moment, with caveats

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the venue relocation on September 10, 2025. The move accounts for up to $17.6 million in combined revenue increases and cost savings for LA28, according to a USA Diving announcement at the time. The outdoor diving competition will be the first at a Summer Olympics since the 2016 Rio Games.

"This is a full-circle moment for our community," Sauer said in September 2025, when the venue was confirmed. The center opened in 1990 with surplus funds from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through the LA84 Foundation.

RBAC will operate fully through 2026 and partially in 2027 before construction impacts begin. Olympic diving competition runs July 16 through July 28, 2028.

What's next

The center has not announced a timeline for finalizing its agreement with LA28 or a dollar figure for the operational funding gap. The Senior Commission's next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, at 2 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson Community Center.