Pflugerville announces the city's first regional attraction, expected to draw 300,000 annually, employ 250 seasonal workers, and spur additional development in the area.
PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS – The Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC) and City of Pflugerville announced a $21.5 million Hawaiian Falls waterpark and adventure park will open spring 2014 in Pflugerville. The Pflugerville City Council approved an economic development agreement with Hawaiian Falls for the development and operation of the 25-acre park near the southwest corner of SH 130 and FM 685.
The year-round entertainment complex is projected to have a significant economic impact on Pflugerville as more than 300,000 guests are expected annually. In an economic impact study commissioned by the PCDC and conducted by Impact DataSource, $6.2 million in annual sales are expected at Hawaiian Falls Pflugerville in its first year of operations, resulting in a significant increase in city sales tax revenue totaling approximately $62,000 the first year alone.
“This is a significant economic development win for Pflugerville for multiple reasons,” PCDC Executive Director Floyd Akers said. “Pflugerville will become a regional destination for Central Texas residents. In addition to bringing additional tax revenue to the city, this project will also provide additional funding to the PCDC for economic development, provide jobs to local teenagers and adults, and spur additional development such as hotels in the area.”
Hawaiian Falls is expected to employ 250 to 300 part-time seasonal workers, 100 part-time workers year round, and 15 to 20 full-time jobs with health insurance benefits.
The Pflugerville location will be the largest Hawaiian Falls waterpark in Texas, and the first in Texas with an adventure park. Hawaiian Falls also has waterparks in Garland, The Colony, Mansfield, Roanoke and Waco, Texas.
David Busch, president of Horizon Family Holdings, which has developed and operated 24 waterparks across the U.S. including Hawaiian Falls, said the Pflugerville park will span approximately 10 acres, the adventure park will span 5 acres, and the remaining acreage will be used for parking and future expansion.
By selecting Pflugerville for Hawaiian Falls’ expansion into Central Texas, Busch said it puts the park within a 25-minute drive of more than 2 million people regionally. It will be the only waterpark of this size within an hour drive.
“We selected Pflugerville because of the business friendly atmosphere and perfect demographics,” Busch said. “We wanted a high concentration of children and families, good highway access, regional employers, great weather and people who enjoy the outdoors. Pflugerville provided all that and more.”
Busch said his team has been in search of the right location and partnership in the Austin area since 2003. Horizon met with six or seven other cities in the region before choosing Pflugerville.
“Pflugerville was the absolute best choice,” Busch said. “They were interested and responsive in working with us to bring Hawaiian Falls to fruition. We need to move quickly to make this project a reality for summer 2014, and Pflugerville is a ‘can do’ community that will make this happen.”
Several economic development agreements are in place for this project between the PCDC and Hawaiian Falls, including lease, development and performance agreements. The PCDC will acquire and own the 25 acre tract of land for the project. Hawaiian Falls will develop and operate the parks under a 30-year lease agreement with two 10-year options to renew. In the first year of the agreement, the economic impact to the City of Pflugerville will exceed $30 million.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
