Blue Surf Bay Waterpark

The design team worked with the Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Department to create a first-class community aquatics center. A 2020 feasibility study captured the community’s desire to create a destination aquatics facility, and a dedicated parks sales tax, passed by an overwhelming majority in April 2021, funded the project. 

In October 2021, design began with the overarching goal of creating an inclusive, unique and world-class aquatics experience that would not just fill the need for community aquatics but provide myriad programs and amenities that would prove operationally and financially sustainable. 

The 15,000-square-foot natatorium includes a 25-yard lap pool, an overhead NinjaCross, an artificial rock wall for climbing and cliff diving, a 2,500-square-foot indoor splash pad, a program pool with a current channel, a hot tub and a steam sauna. Outdoor features include an extensive pool deck, inclusive restrooms, luxury rental cabanas, a 600-foot lazy river, a WaveBall pool, a kids pool with a Baja Bench and water play structure, massive waterslides including the longest stand-up waterslide in the world, and a doublesurf simulator. An elevated observation deck shades the lower-level concessions and overlooks the outdoor facility with beverages offered by a local craft brewery. 

Blue Surf Bay is an expansion of the Blue Springs Fieldhouse. The combined facility is named the Carson Ross Community Recreation Complex. A single membership allows for joint use and efficient operations, and the facility operated with a financial surplus during its inaugural year.

Architect of Record

SFS Architecture Inc.

Kansas City, Mo.

Aquatics Design Firm

Water Technology Inc.

Beaver Dam, Wis.

Suppliers