In October, Grand Prairie officials plan to break ground on The Epic, a $75 million-plus water park, recreation area and community activity center.
The Epic will be the anchor location for Grand Prairie’s Central Park, located west of State Highway 161 and Waterwood Drive. It will include an indoor 70,000-square-foot water park along with over 3 acres of outdoor space. Other components of the project include an indoor play area, an amphitheater, a fitness center, library, café, art studios, teen rooms and exercise rooms. While that is the municipal site of the development, there are nearby retail, restaurant and hotel sites the city hopes will help support the project. The Epic was made possible by the ¼ cent sales tax approved by Grand Prairie voters in May 2014.
“We think the site will be a big draw for retail and developers,” said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen, who expects the site to draw tourists as well as residents of the city of 182,000.
The groundbreaking celebration for The Epic Project on Saturday, Oct. 17 will feature free entertainment from four-time Grammy award winners Max Baca and Los Texmaniacs with Joe Ely and Rick Trevino, a short film on the upcoming project, and a free fireworks show.
The major parts of the Epic include:
• Epic Waters – a year-round 70,000-square-foot indoor water park with a retractable roof and rides for all ages, plus one of the longest lazy rivers in America.
• PlayGrand Adventures – will be one of the largest all-inclusive indoor play areas in Texas. Children with all abilities will have the opportunity to play on specialized equipment constructed to help them learn, play and grow.
• GrandLawn – includes an amphitheater with a world-class stage in a beautifully landscaped setting.
Dallas-based HKS Inc. is the project designer and Lee Lewis Construction is the general contractor.
Last year, the city had worked with developers on a plan for a $215 million indoor ski resort development that included a Hard Rock Hotel, but those plans fell through.
www.gptx.org