OKC Council OKs millions in whitewater park improvements

The Oklahoma City Council on Tuesday approved $7.9 million for enhancements to the MAPS 3 whitewater rafting and kayaking park, aimed at bringing revenue in line with operating costs.

The $46.2 million Riversport Rapids is a city-owned park, promised to voters who approved MAPS 3 in December 2009. It opened in 2016 and just completed its third season.

On the Oklahoma River, the whitewater park is seen as the financial anchor for the Boathouse District, and enhancements had been sought by the Boathouse Foundation, the city's operating partner for the park.

With Tuesday's action, the park's price tag is in the range of $56 million.

Work approved Tuesday will be timed to be completed before the 2019 season begins in the spring.

The park has recreational and competition channels for water sports and is the heart of the U.S. Olympic training site in those disciplines.

Officials say it has a growing reputation among water sports enthusiasts.

And they say it is positioned to become a greater tourism draw and is a positive asset when pitching the city as an option for corporate relocations and expansions.

Plans for an executive leadership institute at the park dovetail with the vision for the park as a business development tool.

Projects approved by the council will be financed by MAPS 3 sales tax revenue. They include:

• Finishing the 8,000-square-foot second floor in the park's main building for the executive leadership institute and a U.S. Olympic sports tenant.

• Electrical upgrades to reduce the power bills for the park's massive pumps.

• A high-capacity zip line and climbing walls to expand offerings and broaden the park's appeal.

Preferred features such as finishing the main building's upstairs and a water play feature for young children were dropped after construction bids in 2014 exceeded estimates by around 50 percent.

The Boathouse Foundation is in the midst of regaining its financial footing, restructuring its board and hiring experienced executive leadership.

Changes were required as part of a $2 million deal approved by the city council in July to pump cash into the foundation's operations.