Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training (FAST) is currently in the process of constructing a new, state-of-the-art aquatics facility that will be one of the largest in the country.
Developers began to plan the facility following the announcement from the College of Central Florida that it would be closing its Newton A. Perry Aquatic Complex, which left high school and club teams around the community without a place to swim.
The facility is expected to be amongst the largest indoor and outdoor swimming facilities in the country once it is completed in late 2021. Both of its main pools will be home to several regional-level and possibly national-level competitions, as it has both an indoor 10-lane 50 meter/ 25 yard competition pool and a 8-lane 50 meter/25 yard/25 meter outdoor competition pool.
Currently, the indoor pool is expected to have the capacity to hold over 2,000 people, with room for over 800 swimmers on deck and 1,200 in the stands.
In addition to both pools, the facility will also house a state of the art drylands facility for swimmers to utilize out of the water, spacious locker rooms, and an event-space lawn for families to utilize during meets. Complementing these will be a splash pad, complete with lounge area and a concession stand.
FAST Fact Sheet, via Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training
Although the pool’s official opening has not been set, construction is currently underway on the facility, which is located in Southwest Ocala.
Bennett Williams
It’s always awesome when a new facility is being built, but why are they building an indoor pool in central Florida?
It rains 114 days per year in Orlando.
Which is almost exactly the same as it rains where I am (on the atlantic about 10 hours north). I just don’t see that justifying the enormous expense, not to mention the air quality issues.
Sun safety . Melanomas from skin cancer is a problem , at least it is here in Australia
idk if it’s changed, but when I was swimming in FL a lot of the championship meets happened at indoor pools, so if you want to host those (and have a shot at getting Grand Prix meets and such), an indoor pool is going to be necessary
Lightning storms, if an indoor pool is built correctly you can still use the pool.
A lot of summer and fall practices and meets take place during the time of these storms.
Theoretically, although every indoor pool I’ve ever been to insists on closing down at the first hint of thunder.
Been to 4 different indoor facilities (in the southeast) in the last 2 years for meets where they did not close done for lightning storms, of course all the outdoor facilities did.
Dressel influence? ahah
that one guy didn’t get the no mask memo
That “one guy” might have a compromising health issues or lives with someone who does. Save your stupidity and the 13 who voted your ignorant comment up for a forum full of those who don’t care about themselves, their loved ones or their friends.
Does anyone know if the indoor pool will have bulkheads?
Will the facility have diving boards/towers?
While the bulkhead question was not one we thought to ask, I’m almost certain that it will. I can’t imagine spending this much money on a pool and not adding a bulkhead.
We’ll circle back to confirm about both that and the diving platforms, though.
Wow…congratulations!