An amusement park in Fayetteville? The idea may not be as far-fetched as you think.
Fayetteville leaders are exploring the idea of building an amusement or water park in Cumberland County, with early planning discussions planned for next month.
On May 6, the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation will present to the City Council information regarding the feasibility of building an amusement or water park in Fayetteville, District 7 Councilwoman Brenda McNair said April 15 during an interview broadcast on WFNC's "Good Morning Fayetteville."
In March, McNair requested that Robert Van Geons, the city's economic development CEO and president, "present information to the Council about the benefits of recruiting an amusement park developer to build an amusement park in the city," she wrote in her request.
The FCEDC has been considering the benefits of an amusement or water park in Cumberland County for several years, Van Geons said in an email last week.
“I’m sure many of our fellow citizens agree," he said. "It is something that our residents and military families would very much enjoy.”
McNair shared this sentiment on "Good Morning Fayetteville," stating that the council voted to have Van Geons present the project outline. She also mentioned her longstanding interest in the idea.
“Actually, I’ve been talking to Robert since 2022 about the amusement park, so he’s excited about it himself,” McNair said on the show.
In McNair's council request, some of the highlighted benefits for why an amusement park would be desirable included cultural enrichment, as cultural festivals could be held at the park; urban revitalization if the park is built in an underdeveloped area; and the potential to encourage hotels, restaurants and new retail to expand their markets into Fayetteville.
According to Van Geons, an amusement park would bring tourism dollars to the local economy, as well as new jobs and sales tax revenues. He said the county's prime location along Interstate 95, with the Raleigh metro for convenient travel and the city's close relationships with Fort Liberty, would all help to make such an operation successful.
“Based on (McNair’s) recommendation, and with the Council’s support, this is an idea that is just now being vetted,” Van Geons said. “I look forward to sharing with the Council the outreach our team has proactively made as part of our overall economic development efforts, as well as potential avenues they may wish to pursue and strategies our team has come up with.”
Van Geons said the project is in the early planning stages and declined to comment on aspects such as cost or location, stating, "We’re just not at that point yet."
Fayetteville’s Waterville USA
Cumberland County was home to a water park attraction on N.C. 24 in June 1985, but it closed after two years. At the time, Waterville USA company officials explained that the park needed more than 80,000 visitors a year to break even, but had only attracted about 50,000 visitors a year.
The park included a wave pool, six water slides, an arcade, a softball park and a motocross track.
While it remains to be seen whether Van Geons' presentation will lead to a water park revival for the area or if a new amusement park would be better suited for Fayetteville, both options are being considered, according to Van Geons' email.
Reporter Lizmary Evans covers growth and development for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at LEvans@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Could Fayetteville, NC get an amusement park or water park?