Hollywood balks at $190K lifeguard stands

They were supposed to be stunning new lifeguard towers that turned heads, but the most eye-opening thing about them is their price tags.

Hollywood is the latest South Florida city to face sticker shock when looking to replace its crumbling stands. The lowest bid on the iconic Art Deco design the city had worked on for more than two years was $3.8 million for 21 towers, commissioners learned this week.

“When you tell people you’re going to spend $190,000 on a lifeguard tower, they roll their eyes at you,” Commissioner Peter Hernandez said. “It’s a staggering amount of money for the square foot.”

Now they’re back to the drawing board, look-

ing for cheaper options.

Delray Beach recently spent $155,000 apiece to replace its lifeguard towers, Hollywood commissioners were told.

“Pompano went through a situation like we did,” said Susan Goldberg, deputy director of Hollywood’s redevelopment agency. “They had an incredible design and put it out to bid four times” but could not get a good deal on the cost.

But there are deals out there, Goldberg told commissioners.

Hallandale Beach spent $86,000 on each of its towers while Dania Beach got a much better deal by using prefabricated towers that cost only $43,000 each, Goldberg said.

Hollywood’s wooden lifeguard towers have been on the beach for more than 20 years and won’t last much longer, city officials say.

“They have reached the end of their lifespan,” Goldberg said.

Building new towers based on the old design would cost $1.7 million. And using prefabricated towers similar to those in Dania Beach would cost $1.2 million.

Hollywood officials will put the project back out to bid and are expected to bring a new plan to commissioners in September.

Commissioner Traci Callari likes the idea of replicating Hollywood’s wooden towers.

“I don’t want to be like everybody else,” she said. “I prefer the wood lifeguard towers.’’

But Mayor Josh Levy and a few other commissioners still want to see that Art Deco design used for six first aid stations. The 15 lifeguard towers within the boundaries of Hollywood’s redevelopment agency could be made with fiberglass or wood.

“We know wood works,” Levy said. “It has withstood the test of time. The ones we have on the beach have been there since 1996.”

PHOTOS BY TAIMY ALVAREZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Hollywood’s wooden lifeguard towers have been on the beach for more than 20 years and won’t last much longer, city officials say. Some of the rings used to move the towers have rusted and are deteriorating.

TAIMY ALVAREZ/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Hollywood’s aging lifeguard tower at Garfield Street. City officials will put the project back out to bid and are expected to bring a new plan to commissioners in September.