Community Corner
Oceanside Among Candidates for International Swimming Hall of Fame
The $130 million proposed project would include a 400-suite hotel, a 70-meter swimming pool, athlete dormitories, volleyball courts, training trails for triathletes, and even a 30-acre water park.
Could there be an swimming hall of fame coming to Oceanside?
Officials with the International Swimming Hall of Fame, currently based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are looking for a location on the west coast, and Oceanside is one of the top candidates, according to U-T San Diego.
The proposed location of the hall of fame is a 55-acre section of the 465-acre El Corazon property in Oceanside, a city-owned parcel between El Camino Real, Rancho del Oro Drive, Oceanside Boulevard and Mesa Drive.
Estimates for the project initially are about $130 million for the building of the hall of fame, which would be more than just a museum. The plans are seemingly for an entire resort as a way to garner more revenue and get tourists to visit the hall.
The project would include a 400-suite hotel, a 70-meter swimming pool, athlete dormitories, volleyball courts, training trails for triathletes, and even a 30-acre water park.
Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood told U-T San Diego that the plans "look interesting," but that he would have to see more details, specifically about how the project will be paid for.
“It’s in the early stages but it’s worth a look,” Wood said. “It really comes down to the details; can they get the financing?”
The Oceanside City Council has been in talks with the developer, but no decision or next steps are imminent at this point in time.
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"It has been a disappointment to see that the city of Fort Lauderdale does not think we have value," hall of fame president and CEO Bruce Wigo told The Miami Herald in May. "We love Fort Lauderdale and would like to stay, but I have a fiduciary duty to put it where it can thrive and fulfill its mission, and that requires a business model that works."
The City of Santa Clara is also a candidate for the Hall of Fame's relocation. However, according to U-T San Diego, Oceanside may have an advantage because of the scope of the El Corazon project, as it would be a tourist destination and a location for competitive national and international swimming tournaments.
Sherman Whitemore, the developer in charge of the project told the paper: “It’s near the beach, it’s near San Diego, it’s 40 minutes to an airport, it’s got wonderful accessibility and the weather is some of the best in the world."
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