Moment to Remember
At least for Mr. Moran, it was an historic moment, the intersection of a long-held dream and a just-happened opportunity.
City Councilman Alan Corlin, elected Mayor by his colleagues last Monday night, has let it be known that revival of the Natatorium is prominent on his to-do list.
The Plan
As for the swimming personality, he was anxious to spread out his elaborate operational plan before the citys politicians.
With the rising credibility and visibility of our Edge Swim Club, Mr. Moran said, this is just the terrific kind of opportunity we have been looking for.
Right Place, Right Time
This is the culmination of three years of planning, said the charismatic founder of the successful competitive youth swim team known as Edge.
He only learned yesterday morning that he finally would have a chance to publicly present his plan before a meeting of key members from Culver Citys two elected bodies.
Timing Is Perfect
For us, and for our plan, Mr. Moran said, this plan is fortuitous.
According to officials, the logistical realities that have dogged the Natatorium spelled m-o-n-e-y are almost as daunting as Mr. Moran is upbeat.
Jerry Chabola, athletic director of Culver City High School, spoke this afternoon about the Natatorium that was built on campus in 1969, between the Middle School and the high school.
What Once Was
He recalled that the Natatorium, regarded in its prime as one of the speed-friendliest pools on the Westside, was closed in the early 1990s.
It was a budget issue, Mr. Chabola said. My recollection is the cost was between $125,000 and $150,000 a year. That kind of money just was not available.
Mr. Chabola said his wife and children swam frequently in the indoor pool after moving to Culver City in 1981. By the time he became athletic director 14 years ago, the Natatorium had gone dark.
Little Comparison
The new cost numbers fairly dwarf the old ones. If the Natatorium were to be renovated, said David El Fattal, the School Districts Assistant Superintendent for Finance, the renovation bill would be in the $2.3 million range.
Instead of the old annual bill of $125,000, the new centurys cost would be closer to $325,000 a year.
When his opening came during the 80-minute meeting yesterday at the School District headquarters, Mr. Moran leaped.
The Right Ears?
He held the undistracted attention of Mayor Corlin, City Councilman Scott Malsin, School Board President Marla Wolkowitz and Board member Saundra Davis.
Taking no chances, Mr. Moran read his presentation from a prepared statement:
We are developing a plan that will result in no cost to the city of Culver City, and, in fact, much positive attention, he said.
A Communitys Image
We want to provide a much-needed venue for youth aquatics, and the Culver City community as a whole. This is part of our plan to establish Culver City as a swim mecca.
SwimBiz has developed a relationship with the same engineering expert who consulted on the 08 China Summer Olympics competition pool. He will fly to Los Angeles and tour the Natatorium (at the expense of the sanctioning group USA- Swimming). He will provide an accurate, precise assessment of the money, exact repairs and time needed to renovate the facility. He believes the $400,000 previous estimate is outdated.
A Filming Strategy
Third, SwimBiz, Inc. has a close association with an entertainment production team currently forming a new LLC to shoot a feature film set in the contemporary competitive swimming world.
The fictional film centers around a young man and his burgeoning swim team. They must renovate a dilapidated facility in order to survive and grow.
Thus, the production team is interested in renting the Natatorium, both during renovation and immediately after. They have other options, but this is first choice.
A Hometown Accent
Fourth, said Mr. Moran, separate from the potential filming revenue, SwimBiz, Inc. is working with the Director of Club Facilities Development at USA-Swimming, who specializes in assisting clubs/businesses with creating programming models to maximize service to the surrounding community.
His department works exclusively with and through USA-Swimming member clubs. We are developing a viable programming plan, based solely on local community participation.
