Of all the items included in the SPLOST 8 expenditures, one that stands out is a water park in the Diamond Lakes recreation area.
If SPLOST passes on March 16, the city will forge ahead with $5 million for creation of the water park. District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom says a water park will certainly cost more than $5 million to build. He says the allocation will be seed money.
“Let me make it clear. The city is not getting into the water park business,” Frantom says. “This money will be used to create a public/private partnership.”
Frantom says the seed money will be used for land development and infrastructure.
The history of water parks in Augusta has been a mixed bag. Krystal River Water Park operated in Evans for 15 years, it but closed in 2003 due to increased insurance premiums needed to operate the park, according to the owner.
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Insurance premiums are typically very high for such facilities because owners are required to maintain the highest level of safety possible. Should a drowning death occur, insurance payouts can be in the millions. Even simple slip-and-fall accidents can bring on massive payouts if the owner is proven to be even the slightest bit negligent.
Frantom maintains that whoever is contracted to run the park would be the sole owner. It is unclear whether the city would share liability for injuries or deaths if it is a partner in the water park.
Technically, if the city maintains ownership of the land, then it could be held responsible for what occurs on the land.
In 2016, a totally private venture known as “Scuttle’s Island” was planned for North Augusta, but the plan was scuttled after the corporation, Cedar Rock Holdings LLC, was forced by creditors into filing for bankruptcy protection.
While creating and maintaining a water park facility may be a slippery slope, Frantom says the commission looked at other successful water parks as a guide. Frantom points to Splash In The Boro in Statesboro as an example of a water park that is operated correctly and at a profit for all parties involved.
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Statesboro’s water park has become a tourist destination for the region, which has certainly helped boost the small city’s economy. That water park was approved as part of a 2002 SPLOST initiative. The park cost $4.5 million to build and had 90,000 visitors in its first summer in operation.
Splash In The Boro has been so successful that it is currently undergoing renovations and plans to reopen for the 2021 summer season despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its website
Frantom says the proposed water park will bring a great economic impact to south Augusta and drive more people to that area, possibly bringing in even more private investments and businesses to south Augusta.
“South Augusta has always been the red-headed stepchild when it comes to SPLOST funding,” Frantom says. “The people of south Augusta can gravitate more to this SPLOST because there is more here that the people can actually see.”
Scott Hudson is the Managing Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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