BETTENDORF, Iowa — The ground was broken Friday on a $21.7 million project between the City of Bettendorf and the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley.
A new aquatics facility will be built on the ground of the now-shut-down Splash Landing. The facility is expected to cost $18.7 million according to the City of Bettendorf.
A 12,500-square-foot pool, a 3,700-sqaure-foot-splash-pad and a 430-foot-lazy river are included in the construction plans. The activity pool is also expected to have swimming lanes, a ninja-style rope course, climbing walls, a diving well and two diving boards.
"It's going to be a great attraction for all," Bettendorf's Mayor Bob Gallagher told News 8's Collin Riviello moments after Gallagher helped to break ground on the new facility. "It's going to be a wonderful water park and a great skating rink. The community is really going to enjoy this project when we can get it completed."
The Bettendorf City Council approved General Constructors, Inc. to build the facility last month, handing it a $19.6M contract. It's part of a larger project called The Landing which will also include a permanent ice rink that costs $3M.
According to the project's webpage, because of the shared facility space between the aquatics facility and the ice rink, part of the rink's price tag is baked into GCI's contract.
The mayor's hope is that the new facilities will attract more tourists to the city.
"If we can get some tourism where people come here and get to know us, they're gonna want to be here," Gallagher said. "They might come here, move here and fill those jobs that we have open at this time."
The project will be completed in several phases.
Phase 1: Large Activity Pool & 4 Supporting Buildings
- Construction Starts May 2023 – Completion Date May 2024
- The 12,500-square-foot activity pool includes a zero-depth entry with a spray feature, ninja-style ropes course, lap lanes, and a diving well with two diving boards and two climbing walls.
Phase 2: Slide Tower, Lazy River, Spray Pad
- Construction Starts September 2024 – Completion Goal May 2025
- The other features of the aquatic facility include a three-story-high slide tower with three slides, a 430-foot-long lazy river, and a 3,700-square-foot splash pad.
Construction on the ice rink won't take place until the aquatics center is completely finished, according to the project's website.
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