Allen Takes First Step Toward 'Game-Changing' $950M Kalahari Water Park And Resort
Family fun could soon get a lot wetter in Allen.
City officials are in talks to bring a 1.1M SF water park resort and convention center to the last undeveloped piece of land along the Sam Rayburn Tollway.
Allen City Council during its Tuesday meeting authorized City Manager Eric Ellwanger to negotiate a hotel land lease with Kalahari Resorts & Conventions for a 123-acre site.
Initial plans for the project call for a massive indoor-outdoor water park, a separate indoor family entertainment center, a 912-room hotel, a 165K SF convention center and 14 to 16 food and beverage outlets. If everything proceeds as anticipated, Kalahari officials hope to open the resort by 2030.
An economic impact study commissioned by the city found that Allen and related entities will collect $390M in taxes over the proposed 38-year incentive deal for Kalahari, Allen Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Dan Bowman said.
“This is going to bring $5B in direct and indirect spending over the first 10 years here in our local economy,” Bowman said. “[The study] also showed, and this was really important to us, that all the visitors we will have will increase the spending at our local restaurants, our local retail, all of our local hotels and even our current convention center.”
The proposed incentives stipulate that Kalahari invest at least $900M in the project and create 500 full-time positions. However, Bowman said the project looks more likely to cost around $950M and employ nearly 1,000 workers.
“This deal is not done, but we're on the right track,” Allen Mayor Baine Brooks said, adding city officials have done a lot of vetting of the proposal already. “This project, in my opinion, is a game-changing opportunity for our city.”
In addition to the water park, Bowman touted the convention center as something that would bring Allen to the “next level” of hosting mass gatherings.
“It really puts us on the map for bringing visitors and bringing in tourism dollars that we can then use to augment our local tax base,” Bowman said.
Several cities were apparently considered for Kalahari’s latest expansion, but Ashley Nelson, who owns and operates the company with her parents and siblings, said they are excited to be in Allen.
“It's not every day that someone looks into a property like this, so we really, truly appreciate the partnership and the support that we've received so far,” Nelson said. “It is like no other, and as all of you know, Allen, Texas, is like no other.”
The project is the latest in a string of resorts and attractions that aim to transform North Texas into a destination for travelers from across the country.
More than $8B in development projects are planned for the shores of Lake Texoma, including a Margaritaville Resort on the Texas side and a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on the Oklahoma side. In addition, a $200M mixed-use development set to break ground this year in McKinney will be anchored by a surf and adventure park with a resort-style hotel.
