Fort Lauderdale’s dive tower, one of the tallest in the world, has quickly become a landmark.
But now that iconic $5 million landmark could be eclipsed by a new International Swimming Hall of Fame tower standing 12 stories high, critics warn.
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Mayor Dean Trantalis thinks so — and he’s not alone.
The dive tower at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center sits on the same 5-acre parcel as the Swimming Hall of Fame, where a developer has made a deal with the city to build a new and improved attraction expected to cost at least $218 million.
But the plan to build a 120-foot-high, eight-floor building just west of the city’s dive tower has triggered pushback from critics.
They’re not opposed to the Hall of Fame makeover. But they do have qualms about the proposed height of the west building that will be home to a new rooftop restaurant, welcome center, Hall of Fame museum, theater and aquarium.
Critics aired their concerns at a recent commission meeting.
They argued the roads won’t be able to handle all the traffic and that swimmers who use the pools at Fort Lauderdale’s Aquatic Center will be squeezed out.
But most of all, they worried about the dive tower getting dwarfed by a taller building.
Debby Eisinger, a former mayor of Cooper City who now lives in Fort Lauderdale and swims regularly at the Aquatic Center, was the first to make her case.
“We take such great pride in this 27-meter dive tower,” Eisinger said. “It’s the largest in the western hemisphere. And this iconic feature will now be totally overshadowed.”
Longtime resident Mary Peloquin echoed that concern.
“Come on, that dive tower is going to disappear,” she said. “That’s my biggest concern. It will be swallowed by the height of the building. It won’t be visible.”
Trantalis said he has similar concerns.
“Your concerns are valid,” he said. “I share the same ones.”
Mario Caprini, CEO of Capital Group P3 of Florida and a partner in the project with Hensel Phelps, was at the meeting and heard every word.
On Friday, he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that his team is now tweaking the design in response to feedback from the community.
“We’re working on it right now,” Caprini said. “The west building will be lower.”
How much lower?
Caprini could not say.
“I think we have solutions,” he said. “We’re just trying to take into account the community comments.”
This is the second time the developer has scaled back the height of the buildings.
Original plans called for a 134-foot-high building on the west (the equivalent of 13 stories) and a 108-foot-high building on the east (close to 11 stories).
After hearing concerns from the mayor about the height of the buildings, the design team returned with plans for shorter towers — but not short enough for the critics.
Norma Kroll, who lives at the nearby Venetian condo, argued it’s a tight squeeze for such a small parcel of land.
“I feel like they’re trying to make this building like Disneyland,” Kroll said. “We’re not Disneyland. We don’t need to be Disneyland. We already are a destination. We don’t have to become more of a destination.”
City officials have a different opinion on that.
The new venture, the product of a developer’s unsolicited bid five years ago, will bring a dramatic transformation of the Hall of Fame complex along with scores of people in search of a new attraction, they say.
Fort Lauderdale will be required to contribute $11 million a year over the course of a 30-year lease.
The idea was to bring more entertainment to that section of Fort Lauderdale beach to make it a more complete experience, Trantalis told the crowd.
“The question is now, what should that experience be?” he said. “Today we are talking about the west building, not the east building. Today we’re looking at a modified version of what was originally presented. The original concept design was a little larger building. So that’s where we are today.”
Commissioner John Herbst explained why the project needs a restaurant, aquarium and theater, among other attractions.
“We need to have (the Hall of Fame) at that location,” he said. “They don’t have the money to build a museum. In order to build a museum, there has to be another revenue-generating source of funds, because the city is not kicking in $200 million to build (the Hall of Fame) a new museum.”
Vice Mayor Steve Glassman told the critics he feels confident their concerns will be addressed as the project moves forward.
“I look forward to when all of these details get fleshed out,” Glassman said. “We have to figure out a way to move forward. And I know that we’re going to get there. We all just have to work on this together. We really have no choice but to work on this together.”
Trantalis suggested the developer take a new look at the design.
“I’m just wondering if some of the activities you have planned for the west building could in fact be brought over to the east building,” the mayor said. “If you move the restaurant to the east building, that might lower a floor. Or if you moved the International Swimming Hall of Fame (museum) to the east building would that not lower a floor? And as you’re lowering floors, you’re lowering the height. And you’re accommodating the community’s interest in trying to expose more of the silhouette of the dive tower. I too believe that this is going to be a successful venture in the end.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan