Planning board recommends approval of Hall of Fame West Building after revisions to height and public promenade

Summary

After multi‑year review and community meetings, the board recommended approval of a revised West Building plan for the International Swimming Hall of Fame campus that reduces earlier height proposals, adds promenades and public amenities, and includes a required parking agreement for off‑site spaces.

The Planning & Zoning Advisory Board voted to recommend City Commission approval for the West Building portion of the International Swimming Hall of Fame redevelopment (case UDP S25010).

Applicant representatives described a multi‑phase project that began in 2018 and includes museum and aquarium space, a rooftop restaurant, event facilities, and an expanded public promenade. The West Building plan has been reduced in height from earlier iterations; the current submission peaks at roughly 85 feet and incorporates public open space and an agreed allocation of off‑site parking spaces in a city garage to meet demand.

Neighbors raised concerns about notification, open‑space counting, pedestrian promenade continuity and potential sound from outdoor terraces; the applicant told the board it had complied with 300‑foot notification requirements and engaged in multiple meetings with neighborhood organizations including the Venetian Condominium and the Central Beach Alliance. The board recommended approval with staff conditions, acknowledging the project’s public amenity promise and the requirement for a city‑garage parking agreement.