A 20,000sqm indoor water park costing $200m has been proposed for a plot of land next to the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The water park is the idea of Triple Five Group, a conglomerate that owns and operates Mall of America and a range of other properties. The land by the mall is owned by the City of Bloomington and the proposed park would be as well, with Triple Five Group operating and managing it.
The proposal was discussed at city council meeting this week, with city leaders expressing interest. Some concerns were raised, including potential issues if Mall of America changes ownership or the water park fails due to a lack of visitors.
The city is now taking forward assessments of the potential revenue the attraction would generate as well as the risks of such a large project.
Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead said: “We would be looking into it and analysing it and I’m sure we’ll bring on a consulting group to verify the things that we observe and see.
“You want to do your due diligence to see if this is a strong and good proposal, so we can get better answers and make better decisions.”
The city purchased the land for $32m in 2017 as part of Minnesota’s bid to host the 2023 World’s Fair. It has been looking for a use for the land since it lost the bid to Argentina.
Mall of America already hosts a range of attractions including a flight simulation ride, escape room game and Sea Life Aquarium as well as a Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park.
Image: c. Mall of America.
https://kstp.com/news/bloomington-considers-building-massive-water-park-next-to-moa/4815883/
