Updated 12:34 p.m. Dec. 29


The executive director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation said she is surprised a deal for the Hawaiian Falls property was not inked with Typhoon Texas Wednesday night.

“We thought we had an agreement that all parties were amenable to, but after the meeting that was not the case,” Amy Madison said in an email Thursday morning. “There are some terms of the agreement that involve further discussion before the contract can be finalized.”

The stalemate came after a 3 ½-hour closed session of the Pflugerville City Council, PCDC and representatives of the Katy-based Typhoon Texas.

Earlier in December, it was announced Source Horizon LLC defaulted on their negotiated agreement with the PCDC, failing to make scheduled payments for October, November and December. The payments totaled more than $450,000.

As Source Horizon continued to fail to meet expectations for the water park, Madison said the city and PCDC started looking for alternatives.

“Typhoon Texas was at the top of the list,” Madison said “No one else was even close.”

With $25 million already invested by PCDC in the land and equipment, Madison said last week that Typhoon Texas would make an additional financial commitment of $4.5 million in the next two years as part of the proposed agreement.

“They saw gaps in the product,” Madison said. “They know what it would take to get us to where we need to be.”

Before Christmas, work was being done on the property, including removal of the Hawaiian Falls signs.

An agreement will help pay off debt on the project, which originally opened in 2014.

The PCDC receives a half-cent sales tax from Pflugerville to fund its projects and pay the city-backed loan PCDC has for the water park, which had a balance of $24,001,373.45 as of Dec. 16.

“It doesn’t have an impact on the city budget,” Madison said. “It doesn’t affect the property tax rate Pflugerville charges homes and businesses. It’s paid through the sales tax.”

Madison said she believes the water park is viable and will be a boost to the local economy under the Typhoon Texas management.

“It’s not a negative,” she said. “They have a good track record and that area will be a destination where people do all kinds of different things. We are going to be successful with this park.”

The proposed agreement has the facility opening in May. Typhoon Texas has not responded to requests for comment.

Posted 1:08 a.m. Dec. 29


In Pflugerville, there is no water park deal.

A special meeting held Wednesday, Dec. 28, to finalize terms of a lease and operating agreement between Katy-based water park company Typhoon Texas, the city of Pflugerville and the Pflugerville Community Development Corp. did not end as planned.

An agreement was not made as expected for the Hawaiian Falls property.

The 6 p.m. meeting went into executive session to discuss the terms of the deal. The session concluded at 9:29 p.m. and it appeared all parties agreed upon terms for Typhoon Texas to lease and operate Hawaiian Falls Pflugerville. PCDC board member and city council member Doug Weiss announced the executive director of the PCDC was authorized to execute all proposed agreements and take any remaining steps to complete the proposed operator transition. Mayor Victor Gonzales made a motion to authorize the city manager to do the same, with the motion passing unanimously. The meeting was adjourned.

However, shortly after 11 p.m. a statement was released by the city of Pflugerville stating the contract was not executed and negotiations would continue.

“After Council action during a special meeting of the Pflugerville City Council and the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation on Dec. 28, the contract with Typhoon Texas was not executed following the meeting. The city of Pflugerville, the PCDC and Typhoon Texas will continue negotiations, to be finalized during a future meeting, dependent on the availability of a quorum of the PCDC and the Council,”  PCDC Executive Director Amy Madison said in a press release.

Community Impact Newspaper contacted a representative for Typhoon Texas who declined to comment. Madison did not immediately return a phone call or email after the meeting.

No date has been set for a future meeting.