Montgomery Whitewater, the nation’s third Olympic-level pumped whitewater park , is defying expectations by still opening on schedule. This is after the company reportedly lost $20 million in hoped-for state funding.
The loss of funding occurred after Gov. Kay Ivey allotted $25 million to the Montgomery County Commission to be used for the economic development of the waterpark.
Several legislators objected to the plans after learning that the $25 million would be coming from the state’s education fund. As a result, the request for funding was moved to the General Fund spending plan and only about $5 million of the $25 million was approved by the time the Legislature recessed last week.
Even with the massive loss of funding, Montgomery Whitewater CEO Dave Hepp is ready to open.
“Montgomery Whitewater’s grand opening is monumental for the region and for the incredible teams of professionals who have turned this larger-than-life project into a reality,” said Hepp. “We are truly grateful for the visionary leaders of this community for their support and look forward to welcoming our neighbors and visitors to celebrate an active, outdoor lifestyle here for years to come.”
Leslie Sanders, chair of the district board, said she believes a resolution will soon be reached.
“We are very appreciative of the governor’s strong support for this project,” Sanders said. “She has been behind it from the very beginning. I’m confident that with everyone working together we can come to a positive resolution.”
State Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery, also weighed in on the issue.
“It’s a hole that needs to be filled. It needs to be done,” said Barfoot. “We wound up getting $5 million of the $25 million. Maybe there’s another avenue we can continue to look at to get the money.”
The 120-acre park was announced in 2019 and is expected to generate $36 million annually in tourism revenue.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.