This evening’s City Commission/Recreation Board work session was eventful from start to finish. The Recreation Board gave an in-depth presentation covering its vision for the future and the future looks bright. Well researched and articulated direction was presented by the Board to the Commissioners and audience, with an emphasis on effectively marketing our city’s recreational assets. The Board also delivered a document covering integrating recreation into the Comprehensive Plan. It was a pleasure seeing a city volunteer board produce such a high caliber body of work.
The second half of the meeting was interesting to say the least.
Andrew Sneath of Hydrodome (click here for link) gave a presentation and expressed his interest in renting the beach swimming pool and perhaps some of the retail space in the Casino building.
Andrew Sneath
Mr. Sneath proposes renting rides in his company’s BOB submersibles as well as parties where people can swim with the robotic sharks Hydrodome also manufactures.
Breathing Observation Bubble “BOB”
RoboShark
Children swimming for their lives at a RoboShark Party.
Mr. Sneath mentioned that he had been trying to get West Palm Beach interested in the idea and someone suggested he check out Lake Worth’s pool. Mr. Sneath has ties to the area, his company Bellaqua, Inc. (no longer in business) was located in West Palm Beach. Click here for a video from 1994 of Sneath’s first submersibles shot off Palm Beach.
He stated that Hydrodome would pay for rent of the pool facilities and in addition give the city 10% of income from the BOB rentals, RoboShark parties, corporate training seminars or other events held at the pool. Mr. Sneath added that he was looking for a Florida location to build a million gallon pool in the future as a permanent location for his company adding that the redesign of the Casino building might accommodate such a project.
Sneath appears to have been trying to achieve his dream of a large scale facility for quite some time.
In 2006 He wanted Advantage West Midlands, UK to donate a £1m piece of land to him. The grant was slow in coming through and eventually denied.
From the BBC (click for link):
“I think they are totally incompetent, all these meetings and all this money I have blown on marketing,” he said.
“I feel they are waiting for me to find the money myself or leave.”
Mr Sneath believes the centre would have a £3m turnover in its first year and bring up to 600 people to the town every weekend.
He says he cannot wait any longer and is in discussions about two other sites – adamant that work will begin somewhere by the end of the year.
In 2007 Sneath appeared on the BBC television show Dragons’ Den where contestants try to get investor’s financial backing. He failed to win the £300,000 funding he needed for his complex. However 6 months later he claimed that orders were rolling in for BOBs and RoboSharks and he was again looking for a site.
As recently as August 2008 he apparently had the backing of local political leaders in Bromsgrove, UK (click here and here for links).
Yet we find Andrew Sneath here in Lake Worth dangling the lure of increased tourism and revenue. The question is, “visionary or shark oil salesman?”
Today the Commissioners voted to choose the architect for the Casino project and Rick Gonzalez’s firm REG Architects was selected. 
Living Design’s innovative entry incorporated many green features and its intriguing interpretation of Florida style would have been an attraction in its own right. However Commissioners Mulvehill and Jennings gave Living Designs low enough scores to “seal the deal” for REG. 
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