The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) will break ground on its revitalization project Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale.
After securing a $54.4 million construction loan, the development will move forward with plans to build two buildings on either side of the aquatic center and dive tower, which were recently renovated.
The ISHOF says Wednesday’s groundbreaking will be “the dawn of a world-class facility that will redefine aquatic sports and tourism globally,” with a Hall of Fame museum and an aquarium among the headlining features of the redevelopment and expansion.
The new east building will feature a welcome center, the ISHOF museum, a café, a surf simulator machine, a roof deck and approximately 27,000 square feet of office space. The west building will include the museum gift shop, a teaching pool, parking garage, another café, exhibit spaces, VIP suites, a grandstand to watch diving, an event center and a rooftop restaurant.
Each building will rise five stories, with new space totaling nearly 331,000 square feet.
The expansion was designed by Miami-based architect Arquitectonica.
“Thanks to the inspirational leadership of the City of Fort Lauderdale, our one-of-a-kind International Swimming Hall of Fame is being reborn,” said Dr. Bill Kent, Chair of the ISHOF Board. “The new facilities, including the aquarium, will be a new jewel in the crown of tourist destinations for all of Broward County,”
The $54.4 million construction loan was secured by the ISHOF from Washington, D.C.-based MACQ – Florida II LLC, covering the project with a maturity date of June 15, 2026. The loan came after the Fort Lauderdale City Commission approved the development project in September 2023.
During construction, the Hall of Fame will be relocated to a temporary facility.
“The reconstruction of the International Swimming Hall of Fame reaffirms Fort Lauderdale’s position as a global leader in aquatic sports and tourism,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “We are excited to see the transformation of this iconic location and what it will offer residents and visitors for generations to come.”
The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 16, at 11:00 am at 1 Hall of Fame Drive in Fort Lauderdale.
They’ve been talking about renovating this place since 2001.
If only there were some place to park!!
Cool!
Unlike most Negative Nancy’s in this comment section, I’m excited to see what the finished project looks like! More Masters meets there please!
I went to the hall of fame November 2023. It was awesome!
I can’t wait until all the construction is complete!
Pretty retro (50s) design.
I sure wish they would leavet this historic pool alone! PLEASE USHOF. So many records broken. So many USA TEAMS made. I know others that swam after 1978 feel the same!! Those were the glorious days of swimming. Especially the USA SR FINALS! WORLD RECORDS BROKEN. 1979 FT LAUDERDALE SENIOR NATIONALS. ITS the best meet in history! PLEASE LEAVE SWIMMING THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Ok Boomer.
Out with the old; In with the new (for cosmetic and safety reasons). Buildings get old just like everything else…. And despite fond memories, it doesn’t warrant historical preservation status. Time marches on for everyone and everything. .
Do u guys think this pencils out financially? I don’t have time to dig into it but at 218M and only 54M financed it seems like the numbers don’t add up not mention debt service on the loan etc
It’s a public/private partnership, so a big chunk of the bill is being picked up by the taxpayers.