ST. GEORGE — Nearly two years ago, a water park slated for the Middleton area of St. George was set to move forward, but since then news has been sparse on the progress of the “Splash City Adventure Park.”
The fate of the proposed water park has been on the minds of St. George News readers lately, with some wondering if the project had stalled. While a previous attempt to bring a water park to St. George dried up, that apparently isn’t the case this time around.
In the time since the St. George City Council voted to vacate a portion of Middleton Drive between between Red Hills Parkway and the area of Highland Drive, work has commenced on widening a part of Red Hills Parkway, as well as creating a new street connecting Middleton Drive and Red Hills Parkway.
Per a condition set by the City Council, construction on the water park couldn’t begin until the new street replacing the vacated part of Middleton Drive was created.
“That part of Middleton Drive is going away,” said Kyle Hawker of Hawker Enterprises, the company contracted to see to the required road work and other aspects of Splash City’s pending construction.
The water park itself is set in the area of of 2200 E. Middleton Drive across approximately 10 acres just west of Interstate 15 and next to the city’s border with Washington City.
While the portion of Middleton Drive the water park will occupy is disappearing, the intersection with Red Hills Parkway will remain to provide access to residences and businesses located at that end of the roadway.
Currently, the future site of the water park is covered in dirt and brush, with heavy equipment set at the southwestern end of the property. Orange cones also line a part of Red Hills Parkway where work has been done to widen the road and install a curb. This will enable new lanes for turning into and out of the water park’s parking lot to be created.
Just a little further south sits the entry to the new street connecting Red Hills Parkway and Middleton Drive. However, it is currently blocked off and has a piece of heavy equipment set in the middle of it to prevent people from entering and driving through.
While that part of the project looks to be nearing completion, Hawker said some utility changes caused some delays along the way. Despite that, he said crews will likely be back on the site of the future water park starting next week.
Though there’s a billboard yet to be moved and a few other items to deal with, work on the water park proper is anticipated to begin by the end of August, Hawker said. Parts of the water park could be operational by early summer next year, he said.
According to plans presented to the St. George City Council during a September 2017 meeting, Splash City will have a tropical island theme and will feature water slides, a 900-foot-long lazy river, a surfing-capable wave pool and play areas for children.
While the water features are planned to be open on a seasonal basis, plans to construct a 22,179-square-foot family entertainment center that would be open year-round were also presented.
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