SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 14, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Demolition of Glendale’s Raging Waters water park is set to begin, it was announced Thursday.
Contractors will remove paving, some in-ground features, and slides this fall, said a news release from the Office of Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
“Since 2018, the old Raging Waters and Seven Peaks Water Park site has been closed to the public,” the news release said. “This site was an iconic attraction for much of the Intermountain West, and though beloved by the community, was closed as it became infeasible to operate.” In the fall of 2020, the city’s Community and Neighborhoods Department carried out a community engagement campaign for the Glendale Water Park site, which confirmed that the cost and market for restoration of a water park at the site was not feasible, and the water park infrastructure should be removed.
“We want this land to become a valued community asset once again,” Mendenhall said. “The water park is an important part of our city’s history and its future. We are looking forward to learning from the Glendale community and other Salt Lake residents about what this site means to them and how it could be transformed.”
In an effort to maximize sustainability and divert waste from the landfills, the city has identified opportunities to recycle and reuse the majority of the infrastructure. Concrete from the site will be crushed and recycled as road base.
Some slides will be removed from their current location and stored for potential future use, the news release said. Other site features will be removed or adapted while also maintaining their potential for integration in future design.
Precautions are being taken by contractors to protect the healthy living trees on site.
Salt Lake City Public Lands has initiated a planning process to create a vision for the new regional park at the site. “The planning team is working closely with project stakeholders, neighborhood residents, and partners to create a community-supported vision that reflects the Glendale neighborhood’s diversity and rich cultural heritage,” the news release said. “Public engagement for the project will begin this November with a vision plan expected in spring, and implementation of some new amenities beginning in summer 2022.”
Additional information about the project can be found here.
