Minister On Aquatic Centre Progress
Minister of Youth, Families and Sports Glenn Blakeney provided an update on the planned Aquatic Centre this morning [Feb.16].
“I am pleased to announce that the National Sport Centre Board of Trustees have commenced preliminary planning with regard to operational programming for the Aquatic Centre,” said the Minister.
“Progress on the Aquatic Centre continues and the Trustees expect to complete the project in late summer/early fall.
“Our vision for the Aquatic Centre, which will be the only 50 m pool on the Island upon completion, is a community-centric facility that offers a range of aquatic opportunities, including swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming.
“We envisage that the Aquatic Centre will be utilized by both elite athletes who are very serious about water-based sports, as well as recreational individuals who merely want to enjoy an afternoon in the pool. This will require a well-designed operational schedule that reflects the requirements of each type of activity.
“To this end, The Trustees have invited Mr. Bernie Asbell, a Sports Consultant, to view the facility, to gather information from relevant stakeholders, and to have preliminary discussions around operational programming. I will leave it to Mr. Sean tucker, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NSC, to introduce Mr. Asbell and describe how he is assisting us.
“From the early discussions with Mr. Asbell, we have concluded that the optimum structure for the Aquatic Centre, and indeed the entire National Sports Centre, is one which integrates the use of the various facilities.
“National Sports Governing Bodies can expect to hear more in coming months about the collaborative approach to use of the Aquatic Centre and the NSC as a whole. This is an approach which will make sports an integral part of the community, and not a preserve for only elite athletes.
“However, we do anticipate that in time the Aquatic Centre will play host to international competitions and form part of our sports tourism base.”
“I am truly excited that we are entering this phase of the project, and I hope and trust that we will develop a shared use facility that is well-operated, well-used and which becomes a focal point for developing our youth, strengthening our families and bringing our community together through the medium of sports.”
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More money to a Foreign consultant. Was this put out as an RFP so Bermudians could have an opportunity to bid on this work? Somehow I doubt it…
All I want to know is when it will be open…
you don’t read too well, do you? quoting from the 3rd paragraph above:
“Progress on the Aquatic Centre continues and the Trustees expect to complete the project in late summer/early fall.”
so let me translate that for you… Sept or Oct 2012.
Lets really translate….2013…any bets…
They’ve been talking about it for 10 years. I just want to know when it will be open.
Long time since I have followed this one but the last I heard there was only going to be one pool ie no separate diving pit or warm up/kiddie pool. Anyone connected with swimming will know that you are not going to be able to hold a serious competition without a separate pool for ongoing warm up/warm down while a meet is ongoing. Hence forget any meaningful “international competitions”.
You will only be able to hold 25M meets(short course) not 50M meets which is the normal. Carifta is a long course meet so the Trustees have messed up this one?? Why?
Because they know better. NOT!
Good initiative but in these tough times why is the government building this complex without a significant number of Bermudians workers? There needs to be an investigation into this project; tendering and the lack of opportunity for Bermudians . There is no excuse !
Michael,who better than you to investigate this project…Bermudians are all talking about you and your concerns as to going forward….you should be the leader of the O.B.A….but alas because bermuda is majority black …the O.B.A. in order to win the next election had to put up a black man to try amd get the black voters…….my personal opinion and others is that black and white Bermudians are sick and tired of this racial crap ….
When are we going to stop
Well, Black Bermudians have been sick of this “racial crap” for generations. So welcome to our struggle.
It was always stated that this would be built by Bermudians – BWAAAAA it is a skam by the Consultant who designed the pool as it is all overseas workers – except for the few Bermudians who push the wheelbarrows.
Ask how much this is costing vs the other proposal? Bet we will never know.
@ PEPPER,
Perhaps the PLP should consider having Zane DeSilva as their leader!
I agree that this project should be used as an opportunity to create employment for qualified locals.
As for its need, I’m not sure there are many synchronized swimmers and water polo teams who need somewhere to play.