Surf City Waterpark, originally set to open summer 2016, has not yet broken ground despite expectations of beginning construction this past summer.

Located just south of Interstate 90, a 40 acre plot of land was designated to host the future 117,000-square-foot indoor water park. The project was seemingly ready to begin construction last April, but the site remains inactive.

The City of Ellensburg Planning Department is still determining the environmental impact of the park and has yet to issue all of the necessary permits. As such, digging may not begin for several months.

Director of the Ellensburg Community Development Department, Kirsten Sackett, said the park may not open until early 2017.

“It will depend on construction speed,” Sackett said.

There has been no indication on how much longer it will take to issue the required permits.

Gene Martin, Surf City Waterpark’s developer, has been pushing for the park’s construction for several years.

The last update on the park projected an opening in summer 2016. No news or official statement has been released since April this year.

According to the Daily Record, Martin was hoping to begin construction mid to late summer this year, depending on when the permits were obtained. Given the current state of development and a projected 11 to 12 months of construction, the current goal of next summer is unlikely.

The park has the potential to be an economic boost for Ellensburg in job creation, tourism and tax dollars. Some 200 positions would open up to operate the park year-round.

In the past, Martin has said that he and his team are open to student employment. Martin is currently planning to start accepting applications next spring.

The project itself would also create hundreds of temporary jobs through the construction phase.

Once the park is up and running, it will have over 400 rooms. The city hopes thousands of tourists will flood money into the local economy every year and be a large boost for the community.

According to Martin, the construction will cost around $80 million and, once completed, he expects to pay up to $600,000 annually in property tax.

Construction

The water park will be constructed in two phases, according to county documents.

Phase one consists of the construction of the water park, the parking lot and a large portion of the hotel. Phase two, set to follow within a year, will see the remaining portion of the hotel built.

A small creek runs along the western edge of the site and regulations require an 85-foot buffer between the water and the building.

“Site design criteria make it impossible to stay completely out of the 85-foot buffer,” the water park’s critical areas report stated. “[but] the City of Ellensburg allows a reduced buffer width.”

It is currently unknown what has prevented Martin and his team from obtaining the building permits. Although the land will be stripped of a large amount of vegetation, Martin and his team have several plans in place to account for this.

According to the same report, the environmental impact of the park will be minimized in multiple ways.

The report outlined several steps to maintain a diverse habitat for fish and vegetation and minimize the number of invasive species in the area.

Multiple plant species will be restored within the buffer zone of the creek to help keep the ecosystem stable. The site will also be monitored for five years after construction is complete to determine the environmental impact.

Martin and his team had to recently update and resubmit their application. It is unknown when a decision will be made.

According to Sackett, there are still several steps to follow before ground can be broken.