“We saw a void for good, wholesome, quality family entertainment west of Houston,” Hlavinka said at the ground breaking.
Co-owners Keith Dalton of Kingham Dalton Wilson Ltd, and Ray DeLaughter of VantageCFO, were also on hand. Dalton is president and CEO of KDW, which will manage construction.
“We’re looking at maybe a half million dollars a year in sales tax revenue,” Katy Mayor Fabol Hughes said. “They’re expecting about 800,000 visitors a year, [and] that’s a nice shot in the arm for the city.”
Dalton said official economic impact numbers and projections are not yet available but may be released later in the year.“We’ll have 10-to-12 full-time employees at the park year-round, and then in addition [we will] probably employ somewhere around 200 and 250 seasonal employees,” DeLaughter said.
Plans for the park include a state-of-the-art microfiltration system that that cycles 70,000 gallons of water per minute. The park will include high velocity rides, a rainforest aqua play area and a 27,000-square-foot wave pool. A portion of the park will be surrounded by a lazy river ride for leisure rafting.
Hlavinka said traffic studies were conducted to ensure the park was easily accessible and would have minimal impact.
The Katy Area Economic Development Council assisted the developers with logistical matters including site selection, demographic surveys and impact analysis.
KAEDC President Lance LaCour said traffic during the summer months tends to be slower, and the park should not negatively affect traffic flow.
LaCour said a project of this size and similar scope would likely generate more than $5.9 million in net sales tax revenue over 10 years.
“There have been other water parks that have looked at this area over the years,” LaCour said. “This park has a good investment base that’s supporting it—that’s the key. The city did a great job with the project.”
