A new development trend in 2023 is mixed-use projects geared around water play, with a wave park serving as the focal point. These wave pools/wave parks provide a wholesome version of tactile aquatic fun for the whole family. Water parks/wave parks can be in either an indoor setting or an outdoor development. Many of the large-scale water-themed projects currently undergoing construction are meant to inject a tourism revenue stream into an area, so hotel builds, as well as entertainment-themed retail, restaurants, and even wellness services, such as spas and gyms, are all targeted to coincide with the development. The latest wave pool-themed projects garnering attention this year are Cannon Beach in Mesa, Ariz., Atlantic Park in Virginia Beach, Va., and The Grand Experience in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Cannon Beach
The 37-acre Cannon Beach in Phoenix aims to mimic a beach vibe in the desert, complete with sand, and will center around a 1.89-acre surf lagoon pool, to be called the Revel Surf Park. The pool will feature artificial waves, which can vary the water’s swells to cater to all levels of surfing fans, from beginners to experts.
The development will also feature a separate 17-feet deep lagoon pool that will provide various platforms for jumping or diving.
The lagoons will be surrounded by 500,000 s.f. of retail, with tenants such as restaurants, beauty/wellness services and entertainment/fitness brands. Tenants with a multi-state presence that are rumored to open in the development include Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, It’s Boba Time, Two Hands Corn Dogs, Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Surf City Sandwich, Panda Nails and KTR Indoor Action Sports Playground, the latter of which is anticipated to occupy 30,000 s.f. of space. There are also a number of locally known Arizona brands that are anticipated to open units, including Moku Hawaiian Grill, Creek Side Taco Shack and Ananda Salon, which is an Aveda-sanctioned salon. The developers and brokers are also scouting for up to four full-service restaurants, including a possible brunch-oriented tenant, as well as up to three more med spa services, one or two hotels, a fitness center, and other beach-oriented/water activity merchandise retailers. Cannon Beach is a $280M project named after the Founder/Developer Cole Cannon that broke ground in the summer of 2021. The project should open by late 2023/early to mid-2024.
Atlantic Park
The Atlantic Park project in the Oceanfront neighborhood of Virginia Beach, which broke ground in March, will cover approximately 11 acres located two blocks away from the beach, taking over the former Virginia Beach Civic Center site that was demolished in 1994. Atlantic Park will be centered on a surf lagoon pool, which is anticipated to be about 2.6 acres, and will feature wave making technology from Wavegarden Cove, a company based in Spain. Surfers wishing to ride the manufactured waves — which can be programmed to reach as high as six feet — will be able to pay an hourly fee for the experience.
Adjacent to the large lagoon will be 100,000 s.f. of retail and restaurant tenants, including the locally known Wave Riding Vehicles surf shop, which will provide rentals and host surf camps and lessons. Additional tenants rumored to open in Atlantic Park include a regional-based gourmet grocer, a high-end steakhouse, a locally branded Filipino eatery, a Mexican restaurant, a virtual reality-themed entertainment concept, a movie theater and other interactive/experiential-oriented attractions. The site will also house a 70,000-s.f. indoor/outdoor entertainment venue that will be managed by OVG360, a subsidy of Live Nation and Oak View Group LLC, which will host musical acts and potentially professional sports games. The development will also feature approximately 300 apartments, beach bungalow-oriented hotel lodging and about 10,000 s.f. of office space. The $335M project, which will receive $140M from the city of Virginia Beach, is being developed by Venture Realty Group with investment help from the musical singer/producer Pharrell Williams, a native of the area. The first phase of the project is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2025.
The Grand Experience
The Grand Experience is a 226-acre entertainment development that will include a 100,000-s.f. indoor water park, which will be part of a larger 220,000-s.f. facility that will also house a 400-room hotel/conference center and a 40,000-s.f. family entertainment center. Described as a “Great Wolf Lodge on Steroids,” the water park, which will be designed by Architectural Design Consultants Inc., would be considered the centerpiece of the overall development, which will also include 1,200 residential units (about half of which will consist of affordable housing), office space, as well as retail and restaurant tenants. The water park is anticipated to include a wave pool that mimics ocean swells, a lazy river, at least three high-speed water slides, a children’s fun zone play area, and numerous food and drink vendors.
Tenants targeted for the development include experiential family friendly restaurants, breweries, fitness/gym facility brands and entertainment concepts. The Grand Experience is expected to break ground in late 2023, with a proposed mid-2025 completion timeframe. Developed by WDM Entertainment and S&L Hospitality, the $600M project will be situated next to the 300,000-s.f. MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, a multi-sports facility that was completed in late 2021. It will also be adjacent to the new West Des Moines University campus that will focus on medical and health sciences and is set to be completed by the fall of 2024.
In addition to catering to the growing population in West Des Moines, The Grand Experience also expects to hopefully become a new tourist destination in the Midwest region, appealing to visitors either to the RecPlex or to the conference center portion of the project.
