Waterslides returning to Penticton with Skaha Lake Marine development
PENTICTON – Waterfront redevelopment has seen a new pedestrian walkway along Lakeshore Drive and plans are in the works for a redesign of the area around the S.S. Sicamous as Penticton’s Okanagan Lake shoreline sees renewal.
Now it’s Skaha Lake’s turn.
Plans were unveiled at the Tuesday, May 19, council meeting for major redevelopment along the Skaha Lake shoreline adjacent to Skaha Lake Marine.
City of Penticton Director of Operations Mitch Moroziuk unveiled plans for a two-phase, two-agreement development that will see the marina property redeveloped with new marina docks and a restaurant, and the construction of a waterpark nearby.
The city entered into final agreement with Trio Marine Group for a 29-year lease for a phased development of the Skaha Lake Marina area last week. The city will continue to own the land and a joint use agreement will see the city share in revenues from the development for a number of years.
Trio has already begun improvements to the marina moorage, with plans to complete an 85-seat restaurant attached to the marina by next year. The moorage slips and parking lot will be expanded in the first phase of development.
The second phase will see the construction of a 110,000-square-foot waterpark on land northwest of the marina, containing four watersides, a children’s slide area, an aqua play pool, food and a beverage concession along with a washroom building.
Trio Marine Group will pay a lease to the city, which will remain constant to 2021 and then will be adjusted for inflation. Both parties will have the right to determine the lease rate by appraisal.
The city will share in revenue from the marina restaurant on a per centage basis between 3.5 and six per cent, depending on the restaurant’s income. Revenue sharing on all other marina development agreement revenues commence in 2020.
Commencing in 2028, the city will share 50 per cent of boat trailer parking lot revenues.
The city will also begin receiving between seven and 12 per cent of waterpark revenues, beginning in 2020 and 50 per cent of revenue sharing dollars have been earmarked for future park purchases.
Trio Marine Holdings will have exclusive rights for commercial water and lake activities on Skaha Beach until 2019 for a section of the beach northwest of the marina.
The $4.3-million investment could generate between $55,000 and $262,000 annually in revenue to the city for the marina, and from $98,000 to $536,000 for the waterpark.
Council received the report for information on Tuesday and Trio Marine will now embark on a community wide public engagement process May 20 through June 19.
Public input will be reviewed at a special council meeting June 29, after which council may authorize execution of one or both agreements, or provide other direction to staff.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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20 responses
Leave the public park alone! You have messed up Okanagan Beach enough. We live here year around. The tourist come from May 24th to Aug 15th with a few elderly ones escaping the crowds in Sept. All my 78 years we have had no shortage of tourists .
Great move.Time to take a risk and not be afraid of failure.Let’s get excited about this area and make it “can do” instead of the pessimism of “can’t”.Provide a few jobs for students and add life to the community.If everyone gets on board and supports ventures like this, they will be successful.Criticism just brings communities down.
This is a stupid waste of money, for 3 big months out of the year,, parking there in the summer is already always full,, where are boat trailers going to park, oh who cares about the locals– lets just cater to the tourists!
just looked at sylvan lake, if that is what they do…cool, some how I doubt it.
Most people go to Penticton for the sun and thelake.I foresee massive debt and an early closure.
big huge tube slide :)
Build it and “they” will come. “They” in this case, being people wanting to have fun!
Going to need more than a paltry 4 slides. And perhaps add a modern arcade lounge for the winter months?
it is about time they put a waterside back it brought so many tourists. yey
Hopefully the water slides will be bigggggg and fast with lots of twists and turns that would be fun
About time! I miss the waterslides great way to spend the day.Awesome.
Waterslides where there is a beach, that’s conserving water! #Cali#neverlearn
that seems like a great idea, not much left to attract tourist to Penticton with the exception of wineries, and beaches, river channel,we lost the Okanagan Game Farm, we lost the two waterslides that once resided in Penticton, it seems that Ok amusements is not doing well or is about to close.it is nice to see someone proactive on bringing back tourism. I applaud your effort.
Woo hoo! Water slides are coming back!!!
Awesome!!
might be typo… perhaps when they start taking a 50% cut in 2028? – regardless, it sounds way out to lunch.
This is a great idea…………..this is exactly what we need at the South end of the City.
It’s about time!
that’s 10 bucks a person and 1000 persons a day, that’s far from unrealistic in a tourism place (also tourism will increase because of the park).
Love the plan, but let’s run some numbers! City’s share of watermark revenues is 7-12% equating to $98-536K annually. That means water park revenues are roughly 1-5 million/ yr. outdoor park, even optimistically 100 days a yr. means $10,000 per day every day, minimum? Like I said, love the idea, but these numbers appear to be unrealistic, and I used the lower end, the higher end equalled $50,000 a day!