Fort Lauderdale May Make Last Gasp Attempt to Keep ISHOF

hall of fame
Photo Courtesy: ISHOF

Although all signs point to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) making a move to Santa Clara, Calif., the City of Fort Lauderdale may be moved to take another run at keeping ISHOF in Fort Lauderdale.

Tim O’Brien, the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team head coach from 1996-2006 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Coach, has continued to push for the City to find a way to keep ISHOF in Fort Lauderdale as well as build a new facility that would make sense for swimming and diving competitions.

O’Brien believes that a new Request for Proposals for a different facility, focused on keeping ISHOF, being entertaining for swimming and diving competitions and enjoyable to tourists has a chance to keep ISHOF home.

Here is O’Brien’s full letter regarding his request:

To:

Mayor Jack Seiler
Commissioner Bruce Roberts
Commissioner Dean Trantalis
Commissioner Robert McKinzie
Commissioner Romney Rogers

Dear Commissioners & Interested Parties,

I wanted to thank the Mayor and others within the City that helped make it possible for my father, Dr. Ron O’Brien, to receive a “star” on the City’s Walk of Fame this past weekend. It was nice to see several of you in attendance and an honor our family is very proud of. We thank you.

We had prepared one last, long winded letter urging you all to start over with the new aquatic center plans and issue a NEW RFP. But you’ve heard it all before. We firmly believe that proceeding with the training center on top of a parking garage is a blunder of epic proportions.

A new RFP would allow the City to look at other designs, the proper and profitable use of the space, and make that beautiful peninsula the EPICENTER of the beach. It could be a vibrant venue for the entire community, tourists, athletes and the original tenants; The International Swimming Hall of Fame. Instead, with the current plan, it will lose money and sit empty much of the year just as it does today on a gorgeous 85 degree day in May.Residents don’t use it. Tourists don’t use it.

I urge the Mayor and City Commissioners to contact Bruce Wigo at ISHOF at 954-462-6536 to extend an olive branch and make every last attempt to keep them here in some capacity and start over so we can build a facility we are all proud of. It is not too late for the City of Fort Lauderdale to build something magical for EVERYONE in our City to enjoy including:

  • A truly world-class competition and training facility at ground level
  • A recreational element or water themed attraction for TOURISTS and RESIDENTS to use year round
  • A new ISHOF Museum

The facility that you are planning will continue to go UNUSED by the local community and tourists and remain there just to serve a handful of swimmers and divers and occasional events. You have an opportunity to do something really special that can ignite the economy of the beach area and bring the aquatic world back to Fort Lauderdale. The current proposal will not. It’s a dud. We’ve seen them over and over before.

Let’s keep ISHOF here and build something for EVERYONE to use in the center of our beautiful beach area.

Regards,

Tim O’Brien
2000 U.S.A. Olympic Coach
Head Coach, Fort Lauderdale Diving Team, 1996-2006

This would be a bit of a last gasp attempt to keep ISHOF from moving to Santa Clara as ISHOF will already be inducting the Class of 2015 in a ceremony to take place in Santa Clara, and already has artist renderings and plans for a future Santa Clara Swim Center that would be the new home of ISHOF.

According to ISHOF Executive Director Bruce Wigo, ISHOF currently has an agreement with Santa Clara to move should the Santa Clara Swim Center be built, and ISHOF may entertain keeping an ancillary location in Fort Lauderdale.

Until the Santa Clara facility is built, Fort Lauderdale has an outside chance of trying to find a way to keep ISHOF but has no chance under the current facility plans as bid by the City.

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Dirk G. Winkler
8 years ago

Good luck, I hope they get it:)

Tavie Schad Cobb
8 years ago

It is only right to keep it in Ft Lauderdale!

Gardner Howland
8 years ago

Where it belongs.

Chuck Kroll
Chuck Kroll
8 years ago

Tim,
I would fully support an ISHOF site in Ft. Lauderdale. The Beach location is best. Have you considered contacting the folks at Schlitterbahn being built at the airport. Perhaps a site for diving/show diving, historium that ISHOF may support. Hope to see you in Santa Clara.

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