H&LA was pleased and proud to have taken part in the Epic Waters project in Grand Prairie, Texas, preparing the waterpark feasibility study for the project. Now open, Epic Waters is gathering much deserved support and attention from leaders in the industry. This insightful article showcases interviews with several key people who helped bring the project to life.
Published by: Alice Davis/Attractions Management
Published date: March 2018
In Grand Prairie, Texas, the average January temperature is -13°C (9°F), but that didn’t stop a new waterpark opening its doors at the beginning of this year.
Even in July, it’s hardly sweltering, around 16°C (61°F). So it’s a good job that this $88m attraction is fully covered and insulated – making it the largest indoor waterpark under a custom curved retractable roof in the US.
It saves energy on warm days when the roof can be opened, reducing the need for air conditioning, and means the waterpark is open and operating even when it’s cold and wet outside.
Appropriately named Epic Waters, the 7,400sqm indoor/outdoor attraction is operated by hospitality management firm American Resort Management and it’s the first step in the 696,000sqm Epic Grand Central recreation centre development. A lifestyle centre, called The Epic, is to open later in the year along with an accessible playground, PlayGrand Adventures, and an amphitheatre.
The city parks department pushed forward the project and is receiving praise for developing one of the most important community water facilities in the US in many years.
“Grand Prairie is generating a lot of interest in our industry,” says Steve Brinkel, president of the parks and recreation division at WhiteWater West, who supplied the rides at Epic Waters. “A lot of other cities and recreation departments are looking at this project with admiration. This development will set a new standard of what a community development can be, with the right plan, team, and, most of all, vision for community.”
Epic Waters has been designed by Wisconsin-based architecture and engineering firm Ramaker and Associates, with attractions supplied by WhiteWater and the retractable polycarbonate roof by OpenAire. We spoke to the people who helped bring this epic project to fruition.
To read the interviews, click here.
