ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein broke ground Wednesday on a $100 million indoor water park on the Atlantic City Boardwalk that is designed to give families a year-round option in the seaside resort that doesn’t involve gambling.
The $100 million, 103,000-square-foot park will be called the Island Waterpark.
It will feature water slides, pools, a lazy river, food and beverage outlets, retails space, lounge areas, and a party room. It also will include an adult section with alcoholic beverages and amenities, including foot massages and manicures, Blatstein said.
“This water park is going to crush it,” he said confidently in a ceremony under a tent on a frigid January day as swimsuit models frolicked in a swimming pool set up for the occasion and others rode an indoor surfing machine.
Blatstein and Mayor Marty Small both said the project is needed to give families thinking of visiting Atlantic City something to do other than gambling.