Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterworld responds to news of proposed water park in NE El Paso
Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterworld released the following statement with respect to the City’s RFP for a Water/Aquatic Adventure Park:
In October of 2012, our company, Volcanic Gardens Management d/b/a Wet ‘N’ Wild Waterworld, signed personal loan guarantees for the purchase of an additional 26 acres of land next to our existing park with the intention of expanding.
With a total of 60 acres, we could once again make major expansions to the waterpark and were very excited about the new attractions we could bring to the region.
Only a week later, the City Manager, Joyce Wilson, announced plans to have an outside company build a waterpark at the now abandoned Cohen Stadium site. After obtaining the outside company’s proposal through the Freedom of Information Act, it appeared that the City was taking the proposal seriously.
We put our plans on hold to make a competing proposal that would have been much better economically for the City, and met with City staff, members of City Council, and Mayor Leeser to guage the interest level and financial commitment of all the parties involved.
City Council members, City staff, and the Mayor’s primary concerns were about Cohen Stadium itself and how it could best be put to use in the future. Building a new waterpark did not seem to be high on anyone’s list of priorities for the site. From meeting with them and from statements given by them to the media, it was clear that the possibility of a waterpark was still years off into the future.
We determined in early 2014 to move ahead with our original expansion plans, visiting ride vendors, contracting with local surveyors, and meeting with local potential architects. At the start of the summer, we put up a billboard at Wet ‘n’ Wild announcing our plans.
To our surprise, the City issued an RFP for a “Water/Aquatic Adventure Park” this past July 1 st . Yesterday, we sent letters to City Council members and Mayor Leeser expressing our surprise, our decision not to submit a bid, and informing them of the potential impact on our expansion plans. We also asked each City Council member and Mayor Leeser for their opinions on the RFP.
WET ‘N’ WILD WATERWORLD’S FACT SHEET RESPONSE TO CITY’S RFP for WATERPARK
In October of 2012, as part of its expansion plans, Wet ‘N’ Wild Waterworld purchased 26 additional acres of land adjacent to the park, bring it to a total of 60 acres. The park serves between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors per season.
On November 8, 2012, after the Quality of Life Bond passed, the City held a press conference and announced interest in bringing a new waterpark to Cohen Stadium
Wet Wild immediately put its expansion plans on hold in the face of this new information
In 2013, through Open Records Requests Wet ‘N’ Wild obtained a proposal for a waterpark submitted by a California based developer
On its surface the proposal appeared to be economically dubious, requesting land and millions of dollars of investment from the City while returning a small percentage of revenues after its fourth year in operation
Wet ‘N’ Wild submitted its own tentative proposal. and spoke with the City Manager Joyce Wilson, City staff members, members of City Council, and Mayor Oscar Leeser, in order to gauge their interest.
Wet ‘N’ Wild was told that plans for Cohen Stadium would be on hold for 2 or 3 years, sometime after Cohen Stadium’s legal status and its future use were resolved. There was little interest expressed in a waterpark.
In early 2014 Wet ‘N’ Wild decided to move ahead with its expansion plans. It has met with ride vendors, contracted surveyors, discussed plans with local architects, and put up a billboard announcing new attractions in 2015
That being said, Wet ‘N’ Wild was surprised when the City issued its July 1, 2014 Request For Proposals (RFP) for a “Northeast Water/Aquatic Adventure Park Development.” Because the park is focusing on its own expansion plans, it will not be submitting a proposal in response to the RFP.
Source: Wet ‘n’ Wild
