Aug. 11–The $163 million Camelback Lodge and Aquatopia Indoor Water Park remains on schedule for a spring 2015 opening, project officials say.
The 533,000-square-foot development, on 25 acres at the base of Camelback Resort in Tannersville, is billed as the largest indoor water park and hotel project ever built in the U.S. in a single phase.
The final floor is being erected on the eight-story, 453-room hotel. Exterior walls of the massive indoor water park complex are nearly complete.
Horizon Construction Group began excavating and installing the steel and concrete superstructure last fall. An estimated 500 construction jobs will have been created by the time it opens, more than half going to local workers, the company said.
The year-round indoor water park will be heavily themed and designed for adventure, with 13 “of the most innovative water slides available in the country,” spokeswoman Erin Ruppenthal said.
This will include the only combo family raft ride of its kind, and Storm Chaser, the longest indoor water coaster in the U.S.
Aquatopia will have seven pools, including a colossal wave pool, lazy river, zero-depth entry pools and a swim-up bar, and a customized, interactive water play center. The largest installation of Texlon transparent roofing in the U.S. will allow sun tanning, and a view of the stars at night.
Aquatopia’s non-water attractions will include a family entertainment center with an arcade, indoor ropes course, nine-hole mini-golf, laser tag arena, bowling, laser maze and children’s arts and crafts.
There will be three full-service restaurants with a ski-in and ski-out restaurant and pub, 10,000-square-foot adult and kids’ spas and 20,000 square feet of meeting and entertainment space.
Four-season attraction
The new complex will complement the existing seasonal outdoor water park, winter skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, zip lines, ropes course and mountain coaster, said Camelback Resort co-owner Arthur Berry III.
“When we purchased Camelback in 2005, we envisioned building a destination resort that offers more four-season activities in one location than anywhere in the country,” Berry said. “This will be a place where you can hit the slopes to ski or snowboard and then go surfing in an 84-degree tropical oasis — all in one day without leaving the property.”
The Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark ownership group is a partnership comprised of Arthur Berry III and Ken Ellis, co-owners of Camelback Resort and Camelbeach Waterpark. They teamed up with Tim Gantz, Pete Helland Jr., Tim Lucke and Pat Helland of Waterpark Ventures Management Services LLC.
Berry and Ellis — who met while attending Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York — bought Camelback Resort in 2005.
Waterpark Ventures will oversee development and operations of Camelback Lodge & Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark. The four WVMS partners hail from Wisconsin Dells, dubbed the “Waterpark Capital of the World.”
BY THE NUMBERS
250 miles of electrical wire throughout the building.
2.1 million square feet of dry wall.
7,500 energy efficient and LED lights.
170,000-square-foot family entertainment center and indoor water park.
3 miles of underground water park pipe.
