Sneak Peek: Houston's Newest Family Destination, Typhoon Texas
Three years ago, friends KDW Construction CEO Keith Dalton (fourth from left) and Hvlanika Equipment GM Terry Hlavinka (second from left) had the idea to create a water park in the Houston area. Now, just six months into construction, they've nearly completed their vision. We snapped the crack team behind the feat: (from left) water park consultant Johnny Blevins, Terry, VantageCFO's Ray Delaughter, Keith and park GM Evan Barnett.
The park is at 555 Katy Fort Bend Rd, virtually adjacent to Katy Mills Mall. Ray says the decision to build there was a competitive choice. He thinks the location protects the park from another large competing park in Cy-Fair or Sugar Land. The sustained population growth and home sales in Katy make the spot ideal for family entertainment. (Bisnow's ad rep has already bought season tickets for his kiddos.)
Typhoon Texas aims to have the cleanest water in Texas. That’s why they’ve installed these massive pumping systems that will filter the water down to one micron, about 1/100th the size of a human hair. The pumps will be able to turn over all 3 million gallons of water every two hours. The state-of-the-art pumps also discharge much less wastewater.
The 25-acre park will have 1.3 miles of slides, a 25k SF wave pool and a winding lazy river. The park will also feature the world’s first wet electronic game slide. Guests will play an interactive game while in the slide by using controls on their board. A major effort has been put into making the park high-tech. Guests will receive RFID wristbands, allowing them to make purchases without the need to carry cards or cash all day.
Food will be an important part of the park experience. BBQ expert Russel Roegel of Roegels BBQ was brought on to help design the pits and smokers needed to produce the volume the park requires. For now, alcohol will be reserved for group events and corporate outings.
The project is a major source of jobs in the area. The scale and complexity have required training tradesmen in a variety of cutting-edge construction methods. About 200 workers are on-site each day aiming to complete the park in a remarkable eight months, moving over 50,000 cubic yards of earth in the process. When the park opens it will employ 800 seasonal workers from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
