Consultants who performed a construction cost verification for the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center renovation told the City Commission at its conference meeting that the project produced recoveries and a negotiated closeout settlement while overall project costs remained in the tens of millions.

Pat (presenter) said the project was a multi‑year construction effort with audit procedures that included contract review, monthly pay application reviews and a final closeout audit. The city’s external auditor and a consultant, Rob Broline of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, presented highlights to commissioners. The renovation, described in the presentation as a roughly $37,000,000 construction project that included a 27‑meter dive tower, was audited on pay applications dating to the project’s start in 2018 through its close in 2022.

Broline told commissioners that review of pay applications during the project identified credits of $504,215 that were returned to the city during construction. At closeout, auditors and the design‑builder negotiated a final settlement; a figure of $148,004.86 was described in the presentation as the agreed settlement returned to the city after closeout audit procedures. The presenters said smaller categories of recoveries included vehicle expense overpayments and negotiated offsets; the presentation listed several line items as part of the negotiated settlement.

Commissioners then raised non‑audit questions about whether the renovated facilities — particularly the new dive tower — are being fully utilized. One commissioner said residents report underused events and low spectator counts at competitions, and asked staff for an analysis of utilization, attendance and revenue since reopening. City staff said they would provide a memorandum to the commission with historical attendance, revenue and outreach actions, and include any partnerships and swim‑safety programs such as work with the YMCA and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

No action or vote was taken at the conference; auditors said invoicing for negotiated amounts was underway and that the city expected to receive the identified closeout credits.