Is Surfside Beach water park closed forever? Owner seeks rezoning for future housing
Wild Water and Wheels recently finished its 32nd season operating in Surfside Beach, and it appears that could be its last.
The water park’s longtime owner submitted a rezoning application last week to the town’s planning department seeking permission to allow the land to be developed into a mix of residential and commercial properties.
The application, acquired by The Sun News via Freedom of Information Act request, notes that their proposal would allow the property to continue operating as an amusement park until redevelopment is ready to move forward.
Lazarus Entertainment Group, operated by former county council chairman Mark Lazarus, currently remains the park’s owner, but Lazarus admitted they have been in negotiations with at least one potential buyer who does not have any interest in continuing to operate the space as a water park.
They’re submitting this rezoning request now, Lazarus said, because it’s a timely process to get approval first by the planning department and then council. A Surfside Beach spokesman was not immediately aware whether the proposal had been placed on a future planning commission agenda.
The conceptual site plan attached to the rezoning request would place commercial space right off Frontage Road and residential space behind it that includes four separate four-story buildings totaling 335 housing units. The proposed timeline would have construction beginning during winter 2023.
Lazarus said the decision to move forward with this redevelopment proposal is about creating the highest and best use for this property, as continuing to operate the water park there has become less viable. He mentioned the impact of coronavirus and a shallower labor pool as primary issues in recent years.
Even before the pandemic, the water park had held off on selling season tickets in 2019 due to budgetary concerns, according to previous Sun News reporting. Wild Water and Wheels will not be selling season tickets for 2023 in light of the current direction, Lazarus said, adding that they hope to have an official announcement soon.
Lazarus, who is also the owner of Myrtle Waves water park and Broadway Grand Prix race park, said the Surfside Beach park is the only one that’s being considered for closure. He added that they actually have plans to expand Myrtle Waves, including potentially moving some of the slides from Wild Water and Wheels to the Myrtle Beach park.
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 3:11 PM.
