Kansas City Kansas WHAT!?!?!?

[OzCatter]

KCK sets sights on waterpark

 

Plans for the $300 million, 300-acre resort will be announced this afternoon

 

By MARK WIEBE

 

The Kansas City Star

 

Wyandotte County, already home to Kansas’ top tourist destinations, plans to capture another major attraction — a $300 million development that would give the area its largest waterpark resort.

 

Unified Government officials confirmed Wednesday that the government was negotiating with Schlitterbahn Waterparks of New Braunfels, Texas, to build a 300-acre resort in western Kansas City, Kan., that would include the waterpark, a covered river walk with shops and restaurants, 50 “tree house” accommodations, 100 cabins and a 300-room hotel. The resort could open in three years.

 

The two parties scheduled a news conference at 3 p.m. today to announce the plans.

 

Located just east of Interstate 435 between State Avenue and Parallel Parkway, the resort, dubbed Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, would be constructed partly on land now occupied by the Wyandotte County Fairgrounds and the county annex.

 

That site would put it across the highway from Village West and Kansas Speedway, a development that attracts an estimated 10 million visitors a year with the likes of Cabela’s, Nebraska Furniture Mart and the T-Bones minor league ballpark. The activity is expected to grow in November when the Legends Shopping Center begins opening some of its shops and restaurants.

 

“This allows us to grow on a great base in Village West and take it to the next level,” said Unified Government Mayor Joe Reardon. “It creates a draw for the entire metropolitan area.”

 

The developers — who have a resort in New Braunfels, a waterpark on South Padre Island and plan to open another park soon on Galveston Island — have been recognized annually in polls and trade publications for having the best waterparks in the nation but have yet to build a resort outside of Texas.

 

They said that Kansas City, Kan., was an ideal site for a concept they have been working on for years because of strong regional demographics and the proximity to Village West.

 

“We think that the people who live in the heartland of the United States are our customers,” said Jeff Henry, part owner in the family-operated business and Schlitterbahn’s director of development. “We think the next place for a resort is in the middle of this country.”

 

Henry and Unified Government officials said they expect to sign a development agreement by the end of this year and hope to begin construction in the next 12 months.

 

County Administrator Dennis Hays said the Unified Government is considering the use of sales tax revenue, or STAR, bonds to help finance the project, although he declined to say how large those bonds would be.

 

Such a financing mechanism, which was used to help finance Village West and is paid off using sales tax revenue generated by the development, would require the approval of Kansas Commerce Secretary Howard Fricke, who has been informed about the project.

 

No matter how it’s funded, Hays said, the project “does depend on some public financing.” The Unified Government does not, he stressed, intend to give Schlitterbahn the public land included in the proposed site in the manner that it handed over land as part of the Village West development.

 

“This transaction is based upon fair market values,” Hays said. “We won’t be giving away county or public land.”

 

Schlitterbahn’s New Braunfels resort opened in 1979 and has grown through the years to include three uphill water coasters, nine tube chutes, 17 waterslides, a bodyboarding ride, a wave pool, five swimming pools, five hot tubs, seven children’s water playgrounds and water and sand volleyball courts.

 

Henry said that Schlitterbahn had yet to draft detailed plans for the Kansas City, Kan., resort but stressed that it would include its trademarked “Transportainment” river system, which would ferry visitors to and from various features in the waterpark.

 

The body of water that comprises the river walk would connect to the waterpark and a marine park featuring saltwater lagoons for snorkeling, diving and touch pools.

 

The tree houses that would include guest rooms would be a first for a Schlitterbahn resort, Henry said, and would be built in artificial trees.

 

Henry also said the company had already purchased some of the land required for the project. Other parcels are in negotiations, Hays said. The mayor added that the Unified Government would not need to use eminent domain powers to acquire the land.

 

Unified Government officials, including the mayor, also stressed that they did not believe the project would pose a threat to Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor waterpark in Village West. “We don’t want to develop something that puts a great partner in jeopardy,” Reardon said. Lodge officials are expected to attend today’s news conference.

 

Schlitterbahn also is emphasizing that its project is not intended to compete with Oceans of Fun, the 60-acre waterpark in the Northland that has served as a premier summer entertainment venue next to Worlds of Fun since 1982.

 

Finally, the Unified Government said it had discussed the project with the Wyandotte County Fair Board and that it supported the project.

 

In a Unified Government news release, the board’s treasurer, Gary Grable, said the project would be a “tremendous opportunity” for the county and that it would “ensure a quality venue for our county fair for many generations to come.”

 

The Unified Government already has discussed replacing the county annex and keeping its services in western Wyandotte County.

Comparing price tags

 

At $300 million, the new resort by Schlitterbahn Waterparks will outspend other recent developments in western Wyandotte County:

 

NASCAR racetrack: $252 million

 

Legends, an entertainment-shopping complex: $233 million.

 

Great Wolf Lodge: $51.5 million

 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/12647970.htm

[Sir Clinksalot]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

I have a reason to go to KC now.

[CoasterCrazy]

OMFG!!!!!!!!! :o

 

The resort sounds awesome! 8)

[ChrisZer0]

The schlitterbahn empire grows even further. I hope they get smart and build that year-round park they've talked about in Dallas-Ft. Worth.

[OzCatter]

I've heard rumors of them even spreading to Houston after the AW closing.

 

-Cal

 

EDIT: On their website. http://www.schlitterbahn.com/corp/media/vacation-village.asp

[ChrisZer0]

Galveston would (technically) be in the houston market, if you look at demos and population. That park is going to be a boon for the local economy in galveston.

[DRWP2005]

Yeah this new Schlitterbahn sounds really cool. The concept art is simply amazing and looks like it would be a really awesome place to go, especially the rooms in the trees, that wouuld be so cool. Any park with the Transportainment system has to be fun, it would be so cool to never have to get out of your inner tube all day...Anyways I really hope this project goes through, it will be interesting to see Schlitterbahn expand to a bunch of parks.