Tough Questions For Fort Lauderdale Mayor over ISHOF Aquatic Facility

Fort Lauderdale

Commentary/Open Letter by Tim O’Brien

Dear Mayor Seiler, Commissioners & Interested Parties,

Thank you to the Mayor and City Manager for their brief responses to my letter and for all you do for the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Unfortunately, the answer that “we have a contract” does not answer the many questions that I, and many others have, in regard to the deal the City has with the developer of the proposed new aquatic center. In fact, I and many people who are in the know share the opinion that it is a “back room deal” between RDC and the City of Fort Lauderdale. How else can the City explain issuing an RFP that receives one bid then being accused of “misconduct” by the Inspector General of Broward County, only to award the job to RDC?

As I write this, the staff of ISHOF is busy preparing for the annual inductions, not here in our great city, but across the country in Santa Clara, California backed by City and community supporters excited to lure them to their shore. They do not need much help because the International Swimming Hall of Fame was pushed out of its home after fifty years by the City and this Commission. There are no other words to describe the disappointment in what has transpired, and in my opinion, is a direct result of RDC, their design and involvement in the project. When talks first began in 1990 while Jim Naugle was Mayor, the support for ISHOF was phenomenal and the vision for the future of that peninsula was vibrant with ISHOF as the centerpiece in the Mayors vision for the entire beach redevelopment. So, it is out of my love for that institution that I will continue to look for a way to keep ISHOF here in some capacity and to search for the answers to the many questions that have gone unanswered throughout this process. We live in a City surrounded by water so why would our elected City officials not fight to keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame here, strive to build the best facility possible and one that EVERYONE living in or visiting our community will use?

Based on talks with all the entities involved, it is my opinion that the contract currently in place that Mayor Seiler alluded to in his email was reached as a direct result of Recreation Design & Construction making false and misleading statements to USA Diving, USA Swimming and ISHOF in an effort to gain their support. Based on that, one would think that the City has strong legal grounds to sever the existing contract and proceed with a new RFP that keeps ISHOF here while fulfilling the original RFP criteria that would build a truly world class aquatic training facility for EVERYONE to use at the epicenter of our beach.  

Nonetheless, we believe that this project as it currently stands will be a failure. It fails to meet the requirements set forth in the original RFP for a “water themed attraction.” It fails to keep ISHOF here in their home of fifty years. It fails to meet the needs of a truly world class aquatic training center putting a 10 meter platform on top of a three-story parking structure exposed to windy beachfront conditions. It fails to address the needs of the tourists that visit our City every day and the residents, businesses and taxpayers surrounding and ultimately paying for it. One thing it will not fail to do is lose money, year after year, by the millions. In addition, RDC will not fail to continue to pass along escalating project costs to the City and ultimately the taxpayers, as they have already done for a project that hasn’t even commenced.

Throughout this process, we have asked for answers to some basic questions. Our questions have been ignored by the City for nearly three years. We are asking, once again, as residents, voters and taxpayers, for our City to provide answers to the following eight questions or direct us to a public hearing where these questions can be asked and answered such as:

1) Why has the City ignored the Broward County Inspector General’s 35-page report that found the City of Fort Lauderdale “engaged in misconduct when it awarded a $32 million contract for the design and construction of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex.”

2) How can the City legally award an RFP with only ONE bid?

3) What is the relationship between the City, its representatives, and RDC?

4) Why is the City unwilling to re-issue a new RFP with clear, concise language that will result in six to eight bids for a new aquatic training center that includes ISHOF and a water themed attraction on the peninsula as originally asked for?

5) Why would the City of Fort Lauderdale build an aquatic facility that will sit empty most of the time just as the current one does?

6) Why would the City of Fort Lauderdale build a facility at the epicenter of the beach with no “water themed attraction” to attract tourists, residents and children in the surrounding hotels and communities?

7) On RDC’s website, they claim, among other things, that “our research projects that the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex will generate positive revenue for the City in its first full year of operation.” Can you provide an independent budget by an aquatic expert that substantiates this claim?

8) Why would the City of Fort Lauderdale duplicate the exact same facility design already in place that will continue to lose in excess of $1,200,000-$1,500,000 annually and ignore recommendations from top experts in the aquatic design field for an alternative design and business model that is profitable?

Finally, let me say that I am not alone. In a recent conversation with a facility management expert familiar with the project, it was stated that it was his opinion that RDC’s work was less than exemplary and they typically bid at twice the price of most everyone else. In addition, this person stated that the City of Fort Lauderdale “was being sold a bill of goods” and that “under its current business model the new aquatic center will continue to sustain significant losses.” Not my words, the words on an expert in operating aquatic facilities for over 30 years.

We would appreciate a response to each question and details on the next public hearing open to residents, voters and taxpayers that I can attend in helping to find the answers to these questions.

I continue to urge you to start over with a new RFP and do what is best for ISHOF, the residents and the tourists by building a “water themed aquatic training center” just as the RFP called for and one that EVERYONE in our community can use rather than proceeding down this path. The direction you are going will result in a money pit that no one uses at the epicenter of our beach, another “dinosaur” design and an outdated business model for an aquatic complex that could be the main attraction of Fort Lauderdale Beach . 

You can do better!

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Tim O’Brien

2000 U.S. Olympic Diving Coach

Head Coach Fort Lauderdale Diving Team 1996-2006

City of Fort Lauderdale Resident

 

The above article is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Nickey Burke
Nickey Burke
8 years ago

I visited Florida several times in the last 10 years maybe 20 years with my family my wife my four kids and the main reason we visited Florida was See the International Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale we love the place it’s all fantastic medals from every Olympics as far back as you can imagine so many stories about all the things and I mean all.
This next piece is for my daughter Rachel is 11 she’s only visited twice.

“I love that I’ve taken up swimming and I absolutely loved it and I love seeing all the medals and things and it was really fun and I wish and I wish you could stay in Florida.”
Wish you guys the best and hope to have a swim and a lovely 50 meter pool when we get back.

Swimfan
Swimfan
8 years ago

The facility also needs some SHADE. Tourists are not used to the strong sun and it is HOT much of the year, and the swimmers training there will also get fried.

Agree that water park is needed to add FUN to the facility and the platforms are useless in the wind.

Also important is PARKING and ease of travel to/from the facility. Can it be located in a less busy area…this is important for hosting swim meets.

Swimfan
Swimfan
8 years ago

Also, is it still open currently? I would like to see the medals and other displays.

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