As Collier County’s water park undergoes major renovations and repairs, county officials are considering options that may include using a private operator and tourist-development taxes to supplement county funds for repairs and renovations.
After a heated debate, the Tourist Development Council on July 16 recommended the county spend no more than $50,000 in tourist–development taxes to conduct an independent professional analysis to demonstrate Sun-N-Fun Lagoon’s positive impact on tourist-related businesses. The final vote goes to the Board of County Commissioners.
“The study will evaluate the tourism benefits of the water park supporting future TDC grant requests for capital infrastructure, operating expenses and, perhaps most importantly, promotion of both the facility and the destination,” Deputy County Manager Ed Finn told the TDC.
“The typical draw has been in excess of 90,000 unique visitors,” Finn said of those who use Sun-N-Fun, adding that more than 50,000 of those use the park during season. “It’s our hope that with appropriate marketing, some adjustments to the facility, perhaps greater signage and sponsorship at the facility, we can actually turn this into an even larger tourism draw.”
The 6.1-acre Sun-N-Fun Lagoon located at North Collier Regional Park, 15000 Livingston Road, features four pools, five water slides, a splash pad, water-dumping buckets and water pistols. After 18 years of operation, it was closed indefinitely to undergo renovations, electrical upgrades, repairs and replacements of slides, old motors and pumps. County officials expect a reopening in early 2025.
Parks & Recreation staff planned to open the park this summer, but an engineer’s assessment found years of chlorine had rusted braces and bolts, drains needed to be replaced, massive leaks had led to thousands of gallons in water losses, aging pumps and motors, filtration problems and other issues. Interim Parks & Recreation Director James Hanrahan said some delays were caused by the lack of bidders.
Finn said the county has a pending “invitation to negotiate” out for bid that’s due at the end of the month, when county officials will evaluate whether to consider hiring a private firm to operate the park, rather than Parks & Rec staff. Private management wouldn’t be new for the county, whose public-private partnerships include Paradise Coast Sports Complex and pickleball operations at Vanderbilt Beach Park.
TDC members were concerned the recommendation could open the door for continual Sun-N-Fun funding requests, but Finn assured them it could be a one-time funding request if the study proves the park boosts tourism.
TDC member Laura Radler didn’t believe Sun-N-Fun generates tourism, while TDC member Nancy Kerns said it is a tourist activity because it’s something a tourist might consider if it’s too hot or windy at the beaches.
Hanrahan, whose previous county job was in the Tourism Division handling sports and events, told the TDC that before Paradise Coast Sports Complex was built, the county used North Collier Regional Park as the county’s main tournament facility, and Sun-N-Fun enticed promoters to bring events there because they could rent out Sun-N-Fun as a perk for their events.
