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via Dreampark International, Inc.
Dreampark International, Inc. conceptual drawing of the water park, Nov. 11, 2011.
By Aida Ahmed 
Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 | 3:37 p.m.
Proposed water park
Developers have plans to build a 22-acre water park in Henderson that would open next summer and feature 20 water slides, thrill rides, a lazy river, restaurants and cabanas.
Project developer Shawn Hassett told the Henderson Planning Commission on Thursday that his company is in the final stages of putting financing together and will not start the project until the money is in place.
The commission approved a conditional use permit to Vegas Residential LLC and ordered a design study for the proposed park at Galleria Drive and Gibson Road. With the city’s go-ahead, the attraction could be open as early as summer 2012, Hassett said.
Since the closing of Wet’n Wild on the Strip, the valley has missed out on a water park, Hassett said.
“There aren’t really that many options for good, wholesome family entertainment,” said Hassett, a nine-year resident of Henderson. “It will be a huge benefit to the community.”
The proposed park would be located near Union Village, a $1.5 billion medical, retail and residential complex.
It would include a lazy river, a wave pool, thrill rides, family water slides and a family play area. There will be about 20 water slides, surrounded by restaurants, cabanas and volleyball courts.
“We want to introduce some new rides and some favorites and classics rides,” Hassett said.
In the past, Hassett has been involved with several projects locally and out of state, working extensively on the financing for one of the Panorama Towers near the
Strip. His partner Ben Howell worked for Del Webb building hundreds of homes in the valley and also worked in the pool industry for more than 15 years.
One of the other members of the development team, Don McCrary, has designed and developed 30 to 40 water parks, and the former general manager of Wet’n Wild will also help develop the park.
After the economy took a plunge, Hassett said, he pulled out of developing, until he found a decently priced piece of land for the water park.
“A water park is something that has always been on our mind,” Hassett said. “The challenge is that land prices were so expensive, so it didn’t make sense. In the last 12 months, prices are more realistic.”
He declined to disclose how much the company paid for the land.
The planning commission expressed some concerns about traffic and noise. The park will include an eight-foot, decorative wall along Galleria Drive with a buffer of trees and landscaping for visual and sound buffering.
The water park would be open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and some weekends in the spring and fall.
Tentatively called the Henderson Water Park, Hassett said, he will release the official name once construction is started.
Hassett said the next step is obtaining construction permits and that he hopes to break ground early next year.
It's about time!!!
Let the Water Park battle begin. A water park is also being developed in Spring Valley with the backing of the Howard Hughes corporation. I will put my money on the Spring Valley location. It has Mountains Edge, Rhodes Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, NW, Centennial and Aliante on this side of town. Clark County commissioners already approved the plan back in March of this year. Looking forward to this water park getting built.
So we go to the Air and Space Museum, then the close by Water Park, and then head over to the new Soccer stadium by the M. I know Henderson wants to build the Space Museum just to keep their cadre of public workers employed, but it's going to cost the taxpayers. I just hope the other 2 will be free and clear of costs to the taxpayers, but I bet the projects will at least get city land for free.
How's that Lake Las Vegas and downtown Tijuana (Henderson) doin'?
Nice idea, location is kinda "eh"
Looking forward to it but there's no way this opens Summer 2012 if they don't even have financing yet!
Wow, let's burn up some more water in the driest state in the Union. Maybe this will justify stripping all of the water from eastern Nevada so we can slip-slide away. Ms. Mulroy needs all of the excuses she can get.
People walk miles to fill up a bucket of dirty water in other countries while we build water parks in the middle of the desert.
Talk about unsustainable.
More jobs and some family entertainment!
Hope they get it all handled and built. This is another step in the right direction of this town.
94% of water in Las Vegas gets recycled, those large golf courses in Summerlin, Spanish Trails.... big turf areas like Desert Breeze Soccer complex use recycled water. Do some research!! There are water treatment facilities all over the valley.
Water park is a great addition to our city, the biggest water wasters in the valley are homeowners with turfs in their front and back yards.
Sounds good. I don't know what how much water a park like this consumes when water is recycled, but I tentatively am in favor of this as long as the City of Henderson and Clark County thoroughly vet it. This project notwithstanding, NO MORE RUBBER STAMPING anything any developer throws up against the wall just to see if it will stick. As others have mentioned, NO PUBLIC LANDS or TAXPAYER DOLLARS can be used. But if our civic gatekeepers go down the checklist and don't find problems, cut that ribbon. I'll be first in line with my kids when the park opens.
Good idea. The Powers That Be in this project should also maybe think about how to get visitors from the Strip to not only this location, but the one in Spring Valley. Not sure everyone would be willing to rent a car for the day just to go to water parks - unless, of course, they make a day or two of visiting other places. Not sure if Strip visitors would be inclined to visit the water parks but if there is an easy way to get there, they may visit, especially if they have kids.
Also, it is a known fact the water is recycled in Vegas. Also think Bellagio, Mirage, etc. Heck, the car washes recycle their water!! (I once heard the water in the rooms is also recycled - yes, the water that you put in those coffee makers to make coffee!! Don't know if this is true or not.)
i like it.
Plan looks very small, not much bigger than say Mandalay Bay, whose wave pool and lazy river get boring pretty quick.
Vegas should be the site of an "extreme" water park with slides that beat out Disney's water parks, etc.
Public Records! The 26.18 acre parcel was acquired in April 2011 for $3,600,000 by Brisco Holdings Limited Partnership, of whom Stanley and Christine Brzyszko, CSC International Consulting, LLC, Anthony Lang and Carla Snyder are the principals.
Do they have any water rights secured yet? This is the primary issue that has precluded any other water park from proceeding in the Las Vegas Valley since the demise of Wet and Wild.
There is no way that they can get this project financed and built by the Summer of 2012, IF they do have water rights.
The water used in the park may be recycled, but I am sure that the daily evaporation rate will be 150%.
I grew up in Wisconsin and always had the Wisconsin Dells & Noah's Ark to escape to every summer. We need a Noah's Ark type of water park in the valley. This might just be it. Gotta start some where.
Im sure the people of nothern Nevada, whose water we want to steal, are just thrilled at this news. Another good reason for the courts to never allow the building of the pipeline.