The International Game Fish Association Announces Site Selection Process for New Headquarters DANIA

The International Game Fish Association has announced the beginnings of a site selection process for a new headquarters location in south Florida.

Read more in the press release below.

The International Game Fish Association Announces Site Selection Process for New Headquarters DANIA

BEACH, Fla. – September 7, 2018 – The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) today announced the kick-off of a site selection process to identify a new headquarters location in south Florida. The process includes plans to sell IGFA’s property in Dania Beach, Fla., which housed the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum from 1999 until its relocation in 2015.

“With the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame assets on loan to the highly successful new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium alongside many of the other great collections of outdoor sporting history and artifacts in the world, we no longer require a large public exhibition space,” said IGFA President Nehl Horton. “The time is right to find a new headquarters location that better suits the needs of our international membership, while allowing the IGFA to unlock the underlying value of our property to create a substantial endowment to fund our conservation, education and recognition programs for future generations of recreational anglers in perpetuity.”

Since its establishment in 1939 as the world’s governing body for sport fishing, the IGFA has had several headquarters locations, beginning with its original offices at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The association moved to the Alfred I. DuPont Building in Miami in the late 1950s, then relocated to Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale in 1967, followed by a move to Pompano Beach in 1992. The IGFA moved to its present location in Dania Beach in 1999 when it opened the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum.

“As we identify a new home for our executive offices and secure the financial future of the IGFA, it’s important that we recognize the extremely generous contributions made by Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris to the development and funding of the original IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach,” said IGFA Chairman Charles W. Duncan III. “When the stand alone museum ultimately closed its doors in 2015 due to unsustainably low attendance and revenue, Johnny stepped right up to the plate again and provided an incredible new exhibit space for the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame at the new, highly-attended Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium. As an IGFA Trustee Emeritus and Hall of Fame inductee, Johnny Morris continues to show his strong support for recreational angling around the globe and the IGFA is honored to count him as one of its most dedicated supporters.” IGFA Chairman Duncan, Treasurer Roy W. Cronacher Jr. and President Horton will lead the process to identify a new headquarters location and negotiate a successful sale of the IGFA property with ongoing legal counsel from Brendan Aloysius Barry, Esq., of Shutts & Bowen LLP.

“Our intention is to stay in south Florida since it has been our home for nearly 70 years and remains one of the top destinations in the world for recreational anglers to pursue fresh and salt water game fish,” Horton said. “The region also provides convenient access for our international members to visit and a great location to retain and attract top talent for our association staff.”

Horton added that an optimal future headquarters location would include executive office space for approximately 20-25 employees; ample display and archival space for the E.K. Harry Library of Fishes, which is the world’s most comprehensive collection of angling literature, art and artifacts; and a waterfront location to support IGFA’s long-standing youth education programs focused on developing future generations of ethical, conservation-minded recreational anglers.

The IGFA is currently located in a three-story building of nearly 60,000 square feet in the Sportsman’s Park development. The majority of the building space is on the 40,000-square-foot first floor, which formerly housed the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. The third floor currently houses the IGFA executive offices and the second floor is home to the E.K. Harry Library of Fishes.

Set in a prime location near the new Dania Pointe development, the building is constructed of top quality materials capable of withstanding catastrophic storm winds and equipped with sophisticated security and electronics. The site also includes ample parking and an elevated boardwalk set around a wetland of Florida flora and fauna zones. The facility is situated adjacent to Interstate 95 just minutes from the Florida Turnpike and directly adjacent to a Metro Station within a two minute walk. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is just 3.5 miles away.

Parties interested in proposing future location sites for the IGFA should send written proposals to [email protected]. The association will not respond to telephone solicitations or in-person visits without first receiving written proposals at the above e-mail address.

Parties interested in purchasing the current IGFA headquarters property should contact Scott O’Donnell, Executive Director, Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield, at [email protected].

About the IGFA

Founded in 1939, the IGFA is a nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making, record keeping and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling. The IGFA also maintains world records in freshwater, saltwater, fly fishing and junior angler categories. The IGFA has members in more than 100 countries.