City announces water park replacement, community natatorium plans
Following facility assessments and community conversations, the City of Liberal has announced plans to replace the aging Adventure Bay Family Water Park with a new outdoor water recreation facility. Plans are also underway for the City to contribute towards an indoor community facility in collaboration with USD No. 480 and Seward County Community College.
“We’ve heard very clearly from residents that they are interested in seeing a year-round indoor facility while also having access to a seasonal outdoor water park space that has features the whole family can enjoy,” City Manager, Scarlette Diseker, said. “Our goal is to maximize use of our 1-Percent Sales Tax funds to help deliver both facilities without taking on any City debt or increasing property taxes.”
Staff have faced growing maintenance challenges and safety concerns at Adventure Bay Family Water Park, which first opened to the public in July 2009. Pool deck separation, shifting concrete, pump-house problems, and an estimated 22,000 gallons of daily water loss have resulted in growing repair costs in recent years. Ground-penetrating sonar testing in January revealed multiple voids lying under the surface of the water park deck. In February, City Commissioners held a special meeting to tour the facility and discuss options moving forward. With estimates to repair the facility for the 2026 season totaling nearly $500,000, staff presented options for contributing to both the indoor community facility and a reimagined outdoor space.
“We have stayed involved in conversations with USD No. 480 and Seward County Community College as they have worked towards a solution to replace the aging SCCC facility with a competition-size lap pool that better accommodates the needs of the school district’s swim teams,” Diseker said. “Given our situation at Adventure Bay and public interest to see the taxing entities work together on a year-round indoor natatorium, our Commission has proposed a monetary contribution from our 1-Percent Sales Tax fund for a project so long as there is access for residents across our community to use it. Those plans are starting to come together and would allow us to help get the project off the ground without requiring other taxing entities to incur higher debt expenses.”
The City is seeking bids to demolish the current water park and stabilize the grounds for preparation of a newly reimagined outdoor water recreation space in its place. Bids are being solicited for planning, design, and build services with aquatic park and water recreation specialists to create a new facility to match changing community interests.
“Our open house and public survey activities in December gave us a clear picture of the features and experiences residents want,” Recreation Department Director, Matt Quint explained. “We also know from managing the water park that some zones – such as the lap pool – are not as popular with guests as they used to be.”
Early concepts for the new space include a free-entry, unstaffed splash park space which can open as soon as temperatures are consistently above freezing along with a seasonally-staffed, paid-entry recreational facility featuring a lazy river and multiple recreational zones found in a standard water park.
“We’re not looking to build any ordinary splash pad – we have a huge space and strong funds to create a unique experience for all ages. We see a space where families can spend the afternoon watching little ones play in the splash park while they lounge in the lazy river nearby,” Diseker explains. “Intentional design features like night-time lighting, waterfalls, and cabanas can create an enjoyable space that draws interest from more adult visitors than our current water park facility does. We will gather even more feedback as we go through planning and design with professional consultants so everyone can weigh in on what they want to see.”
The combined budget for the City’s contribution to the indoor community natatorium and a new outdoor water facility is anticipated to be approximately $5 million dollars with funding coming from the 1-Percent Sales Tax. With estimated renovation costs of the existing facility priced near $5 million dollars and a new water park build estimate at more than $10 million dollars, staff say the dual approach proposed gives residents more to enjoy at a lower cost.
“We’re stretching dollars to help deliver a year-round indoor pool, a monster-sized splash park that’s free to use, and a high quality outdoor lazy river with water park amenities for everyone,” Diseker said. “By using available 1-Percent Sales Tax funds, we’re able to make these projects possible without increasing City property taxes or taking on debt. This approach is a win-win all the way around.”
Due to the scale of repairs required to make Adventure Bay Family Water Park safe to operate and the time required to construct a new facility in its place, the water park will be closed for the 2026 season.
“The decision to close Adventure Bay wasn’t easy for anyone, but the safety risks were too great to take a chance this season. Our kids deserve a safe place to play,” Quint said. “We’re absolutely confident residents are going to love the indoor and outdoor options we’re proposing. It will be worth the wait.”