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East Ridge: Water park developers have investor signed

By: Adam Crisp
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Shawn Callahan

A new investor has signed up for the planned Splash Valley Water Park, a key to getting the park built for a summer 2009 opening, developers say.

“We’ve got an investor and we’re in talks with our lawyers, so we’re just waiting,” said David Mayes, one of two principal developers of the East Ridge park. “I can’t say much about it right now because I don’t want to jinx it.”

Nearly three months ago, Mr. Mayes said the park was at a standstill because a key financial backer had died. At that time, Mr. Mayes said he was searching for two investors to replace that person’s money and he would know more by the first of September.

That announcement was the latest in a series of delays for the Ringgold Road property. Officials broke ground on the park in February, saying it could open by late May. Then there were setbacks when the park didn’t get government clearances to build on wetlands. Mr. Mayes and his partner Shawn Callahan said they would delay the opening until May 2009.

Then the investor died.

“People are understanding about the delays. Anytime you get into a project like that, there’s bound to be complications,” said Coyee Langston, whose business, Langston Photography, is about half a block from the water park site. “People here are more hopeful than worried.”

Mrs. Langston said she still is waiting to hear the latest on the park. The sign on the construction fencing still is present ,and a significant amount of dirt has been moved, she said.

“It was a real morale boost for everyone here when they said they wanted to come to East Ridge,” Mrs. Langston said. “We have property here. So we saw it as a real boost to our investment.”

East Ridge Mayor Mike Steele, who touted the park’s development as a needed boost to the city, said Wednesday he still was hopeful it would come.

“The city has done everything we can to put them in a position to clear the hurdles and to get this park going,” Mr. Steele said. “The last time I talked with (the developers) they indicated that they should have an announcement pretty soon.”

Though he has heard some people question whether the park will open, Mr. Steele said most East Ridge residents are staying positive.

“In general, most people want it so badly they are staying optimistic,” he said. “I hear people asking about it every day. Not just in East Ridge, but everywhere I go in the county ... people ask me what the latest is.”

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