MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) – What was once just a thought will soon become a reality when the Mobile County Commission votes on a $23 million-plus contract to begin construction on a new aquatics center at the Mobile County Soccer Complex.
“We’ve been through all this planning and hoping and trying to get funding together. We’ve finally done that and are now moving on to the next step,” said Connie Hudson, 2nd District Commissioner.
The funding was a team effort, with over $19 million coming from county funds, $3 million from the city and $500,000 from the Mobile County Public School System. These funds will be used for the first phase of the new center.
“The 50-meter outdoor pool. That includes diving pools,” added Commissioner Hudson. “We’ll have an indoor area where the warm-up pool for practice will be, and where there will be changing rooms, restrooms and everything.”
Currently, Bishop State’s pool hosts swim practices for school swim teams and events for the City of Mobile Swim Association. Vice President Daryl Gomien says the facilities are so small that swimmers and their families have had to wait in their cars during larger swim meets.
“They swim and go back, get in their cars and wait until it’s time to swim again,” said Daryl Gomien, vice president of the City of Mobile Swim Association. “When the family comes together and you create a family atmosphere, that’s when it really becomes a big deal.”
Some hope that the new center will give young athletes a chance to become more involved in sports.
“I’m hopeful that this will benefit competitive swimming because I’ve seen the high school teams getting smaller and smaller. And it will attract a lot of competition, which will also help the city,” says Vicky Bedsole, Paige Madden’s former swim coach.
Commissioner Hudson says they will vote on the proposal at their meeting on Monday and hope to begin construction on the aquatics center next month.
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