Had it been up to Rick Taylor and his team at the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, Serengeti Springs – the upcoming $10.5 million water park at the Hattiesburg Zoo – would be open to the public sometime before the end of summer.
However, circumstances beyond the commission’s control have necessitated that opening date being pushed back to the spring of next year, which will give staff more time to ensure the site gives visitors the best experience possible when the park comes online. That announcement was made during an August 8 news conference at the site, which is located adjacent to the Hattiesburg Zoo at the former Cameron Field, which is being relocated to Tatum Park to make way for the water park.
“We don’t have a firm date on (opening),” said Taylor, who serves as executive director of the commission, which runs the zoo. “When we made that decision, there were several things that sort of fell into place.
“What you will see as we go forward, is that we will not install certain elements, so that we have them new and they don’t weather (unused in the winter). We’re certainly disappointed that we couldn’t get it open (on time), and when I say we’re disappointed, we’re disappointed for all the kids who have been calling and asking. But I’ll say that people have been very gracious (about it).”
Perhaps the biggest challenge to the project has been rain delays, which have occurred at the rate of nine to ten “rain days” per month. Although most of the construction and dirt work has been proceeding as schedule, the rain has resulted in delays to features such as the Fusion Fortress Water Play Structure.
“Literally, every time our construction team would send me invoices, they would mark on it the number of rain days on it, and I’d look at it and say, ‘no way,’” Taylor said. “And of course, they’d have documentation showing all these rain days.
“So that did put us behind, and that’s important in terms of the type of work we’re doing.”
In addition, the commission has encountered other setbacks because of supply chain issues with several electrical panels and switches, which are vital to the operation of water flow for the Fusion Fortress and adjacent lazy river.
“We still, on one of our sets of customized power distribution switches, we don’t have an arrival date,” Taylor said. “We’re counting on our friends at Mississippi Power to help us out, squeeze a little bit on some vendors and get those electrical panels in that we need to run the pumps for this site.
“So we’re excited to see that come to fruition.”
Construction of the water park is taking place in two phases. Work on the current Phase I, which began last summer, will include the aforementioned Fusion Fortress Water Play Structure, an entry building with a gift shop and showers, a 150,000-gallon lazy river, a swim-up pool and bar, group pavilions, cabanas, food trucks, a staff office building, and loungers and Adrirondack chairs. The Fusion Fortress will consist of nine slides of varying heights, along with multiple water play areas and two bucket dump stations.
Underneath the Fusion Fortress will be a Life Floor, which provides a cushioned floor that is anti-microbial and will hold no standing water. The Life Floor will feature an additional 19 spray toys.
The commission has already accepted receipt of all cabanas, innertubes, life vests, retail merchandise, park décor, food trucks, office equipment, poolside furniture, tables, chairs, umbrellas and cabana safes. Those items are currently housed off-site and are ready for installation prior to the opening of the park.
Work on Phase II of the water park will begin anywhere from two to four years after the opening of Phase I. That phase will consist of a tower of four water slides.
The $10.5 million price tag for Serengeti Springs will be funded by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission’s earned revenues, along with the existing 2-percent restaurant tax at Hattiesburg restaurants. The water park will be designed to be self-sufficient and profitable.
As far as parking, the zoo will continue its shared agreement for parking space with Hardy Street Baptist Church, in addition to the zoo’s current parking.
“Not only am I excited about it, when I look at it I think “this is beautiful and it’s such a great location,” Taylor said last month. “For the last few weeks, all I can think is ‘gosh, we need a water park – it is so hot.’
“So all of that fits together, and the commentary that I’m getting from the public is that it just takes time to build these. I’ve gotten no negative comments – just positive saying ‘hang in there; we can see this is going to be great.’”
Season passes for the park’s 2024 opening will go on sale on Black Friday, which is set for November 24, at a price of $60. For more information on the park – including the park map, rules and prohibited items – visit www.serengetispringsms.com.
