Fort Lauderdale Considering New Vision for International Swimming Hall of Fame Update

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, October 4. DURING the past few years, Fort Lauderdale officials have looked at a variety of potential updates to the aging International Swimming Hall of Fame aquatic complex.

Most recently, officials had been considering a water-park type of complex that would have included artificial surf machines, as well as Olympic-size pools to continue to attract top swimming events to the location.

Those plans have been bypassed in lieu of a new conversation about developing a hotel, marina and water resort. Not only would the complex contain the competitive pools, it would also include several smaller pools for "recreation, swimming instruction and physical therapy" according to the Sun-Sentinel.

"Our interest is attracting as many people as possible to the city for aquatic sports and that means having something unique," ISHOF CEO Bruce Wigo told the Sun-Sentinel. "This place has been a disaster for 10 years, and we need to ask what is going to be different. We need to look at this with a cautious eye, but it is a step forward."

The biggest issue that has threaded through each iteration of a potential upgrade is cost. Nearly every potential upgrade will require the public to subsidize some portion of the overall cost.

Full text of Sun-Sentinel article.

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