The Mobile County Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on a $23.1 million construction bid that would move the long-discussed Mobile County Aquatic Center from planning into an actual groundbreaking.
Commissioners announced the bid during Thursday’s work session. If approved, Persons Services Corp. would build the facility using $19 million from the county, along with an additional $3.5 million combined from the City of Mobile and the Mobile County Public School System.
Commissioner Connie Hudson, who has led the push for the project, said the facility would fill a gap in the community’s recreational and athletic offerings.
“It’s 12 to 18 months for the work to be completed,” Hudson said. “For the community, it’s a tremendous achievement. We have so much interest in this area in competitive swimming. We have people who are interested in recreational swimming and interest in people who are training for lifeguard duties and scuba diving. … This will meet the needs of the community.”
The first phase of construction, which commissioners are expected to approve Monday, covers a 50-meter outdoor pool complete with dive wells, along with an indoor section that will function as an instructional and warmup pool. Locker rooms and restrooms are also included in the initial phase. If the bid is approved, county officials anticipate breaking ground in September.
A second phase would add a 25-meter pool to the complex. Hudson said that portion of the project is still working through the funding process, with organizers seeking between $8 million and $10 million to get it built.
Backers of the project see it as more than a neighborhood amenity. Mobile Sports Authority Executive Director Danny Corte said the aquatic center could open the door to hosting competitive swim meets that the area has had to pass on in the past due to a lack of adequate facilities.
“This is a huge investment for sports tourism,” Corte said. “We have been missing out on some of the larger swim meets over the years because of our facilities.”
If commissioners approve the bid Monday, the project would represent one of the more significant recreational infrastructure investments in Mobile County in recent years, combining county, city and school system dollars to build a facility intended to serve recreational swimmers, competitive athletes and safety-training programs alike.