Take a look at Downtown’s ever-changing skyline and most likely the hotel or condominium project you see features a pool by Mission Pools.

This 43-year-old company is putting liquid lounges in the second tower of the Hyatt as well as the new Omni San Diego Hotel near the ballpark. Completed pools are in the Hilton on Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp, Renaissance Hotel on J Street, Hampton Inn on Pacific Highway and the W Hotel on B Street, along with condominium complexes such as Discovery at Cortez Hill, Park Place across from Seaport Village, Horizons on Front Street and Treo at Kettner.

Mission Pools also is building watery respites for the deluxe condo towers Grande North and Grande South on Pacific Highway and a spa and three fountains at Union Square near San Diego City College. Up in Bankers Hill, it will pour for Park Laurel on the Prado town homes and Laurel Bay apartments.

Clearly, Downtown business is flooding in to Mission Pools. Credit the good times to redevelopment and the ballpark, says Jack Tone, Mission Pools vice president of construction for the past 22 years.

Building a pool Downtown has its challenges, ranging from parking for employees to competing for space with other subcontractors or dealing with cleanup.

Structurally, these are cavity pools. Since they’re not built in the ground, everything is up in the air or at least suspended over the underground parking. Waterproofing is particularly critical. “If it’s over a garage, a little drip becomes a problem,” Tone says.

Then, of course, there’s the issue of getting the materials to the site. One of the pools at the Omni is on the 22nd floor, so all the plumbing equipment and the steel must be lifted by crane.

Also, all commercial, multi-family pools have to be inspected by the San Diego Health Department, Tone says. “It can’t be plastered and filled with water until the bathrooms and fencing are done,” which means a pool project cannot be completed until other subcontractors have finished their work around it.

Founded in 1960 in Escondido, Mission Pools has five outlets in the United States: two in Utah and three in Southern California. “You have to have a strong reputation to stay in business that long,” says Bruce Dunn, Mission Pools president.

— Bonnie A. Nicholls