River Rapids Waterpark

PLANNED FOR SUCCESS

The first waterpark designed in Ste. Genevieve, located 75 miles south of St. Louis, the River Rapids Waterpark is the result of a feasibility study that explored a variety of different spaces, programs and concepts, each detailing site-specific construction estimates with line item costs for the proposed space. Along with each concept, the team provided a revenue and expense analysis to illustrate a complete picture of what the facility would cost to build and operate. Pleased with the results of the study, the county decided to move forward with the design of a large family aquatic center with a budget of $10 million.

A PLACE TO PLAY

The new outdoor aquatic facility opened in July 2019 and features many options for aquatic play and fun. Amenities include a 6-lane, 25-yard lap pool, a 4,000-square-foot wading pool, a vortex, a large underwater sundeck, a climbing wall, children’s play features, and a 35-foot-tall slide tower with four unique slides. Also featured is a 13,000-square-foot lazy river that includes rapids propelled by a wave-generation system.

TIGHT TIMELINE

Tasked with an already aggressive construction schedule, the local area experienced one of its worst fall and winters in years, which delayed much of the construction. The construction team decided to push the opening date from the original Memorial Day deadline to July. Tasked with getting all the staff up to speed on the operations of the new facility, training began while the construction team was still putting the finishing touches on the building and pools. This required a great deal of coordination and teamwork at the end of the project.