Fort Wayne Aquatic Center close to fundraising goal
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The Fort Wayne Swimming and Wellness Alliance says it is nearing its $54 million fundraising goal to support the construction of the new Fort Wayne Aquatic Center.
The nonprofit said Monday it has raised more than $47 million for the facility, which will house the pool used in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis.
President John Gibson said the fundraising process has been a labor of love, and the organization is working hard to secure the final bit of financing in order to get design work and construction underway.
“We’ve been really blessed [with] a lot of great support in the area from some foundations and private individuals, school corporations, health care providers. So yeah, we’re really inching close,” Gibson said.
Last month, the organization received a $5 million commitment from the Allen County Capital Improvement Board. Gibson said they are currently seeking another grant, as well as funding from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI 2.0.
The alliance is partnering with Northwest Allen County Schools to raise the funds for the project, which Gibson said will be a boon for the school district.
“They know they need a new pool. They know it’s going to cost them about $38 million to build one on their own, and so they’re partnering with us and going to put in that 38 million to really help get us started,” he said.
Gibson said beyond the district, the aquatic center creates a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the entire region.
“There’s just not enough water space in this area of the state for swim lessons, therapy, aqua exercise…just all kinds of opportunities that are untouched right now in our area because there’s no space to do them in. So it’s going to really open up the doors to be able to put in some programming that’s going to be a tremendous benefit to the health and well-being of our area.”
A Purdue University Fort Wayne study says the aquatic center would generate a $20 million economic impact annually, bringing visitors to the area for competitions that would boost local hotels and restaurants, as well as creating up to 250 jobs.
“There are all kinds of activities that, event-wise, we feel like this venue will be able to host,” Gibson said. “We’re designing it that way, making sure we’ve got adequate seating, universal design for locker rooms and pool access and all that to make sure we meet any requirements that we may need for bidding on certain events that we want to bring to Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana.”
Gibson said the organization hopes to break ground in the fall. The project would take up to three years to complete.