Irvine finds new Great Park location for bigger Wild Rivers water park - OCR/SCNG

[Darkbeer1]

While attending a particularly torturous City Council meeting, I got alerted about this great news!

Irvine finds new Great Park location for bigger Wild Rivers water park

The owner said he hopes to start construction in July and potentially open the park for the 2021 summer season.

www.ocregister.com

>>Fans of Irvine’s Wild Rivers, it may be time to rejoice: city officials have found a viable location for a new park and reached a tentative agreement with the park’s owner, who has been eager to rebuild.


After a 25-year run, the original water park closed in 2011 when its landlord, the Irvine Co., decided after several lease extensions to move ahead with building 1,750 apartments on the property. Wild Rivers owner Mike Riedel has been working with the city for several years to find a spot in the Great Park, but earlier plans to use land owned by the U.S Navy fell through.


On Tuesday, Jan. 14, after a closed-door discussion about the new site on the north side of the Great Park’s planned cultural terrace, City Manager John Russo announced the city and Riedel have worked out the basics of an agreement; it’s expected to come to the Great Park board and City Council for approval in February.<<

 

[jerryp49]

How do you look at this article without having to subscribe?

 

[Phroobar]

I miss Wild Rivers. We use to go there all the time when we lived in Mission Viejo. It's been a long time. I liked how they integrated old Wild Animal Safari elements into the park. I miss Irvine Meadows Amphitheater too.

 

[NobodyElse]

The wording and reporting surrounding this seems to be causing some confusion.

This morning on ABC7, they reported that the new proposed location was "north of the park". I think they mis-read the "north side of the Great Park’s planned cultural terrace" part.

Even more unclear is "New Great Park Location". I'm guessing they mean a new Wild Rivers on Great Park property would be a new location compared to their old location at Lion Country. I initially took it as saying there was a new proposed location, compared to the old proposed location (both on Great Park property). This doesn't seem to be the case, as the artwork they include is the same that has been featured since last year (showing it roughly at the corner of Skyhawk and Marine Way, across Skyhawk from the baseball / softball fields).

I hope this get's approved, so they can get started ASAP.

 

[Phroobar]

So I guess it would be this lot for Wild Rivers?

You got to enjoy the packed in communist style block housing developments on the other end of the park. Why do people like cookie cutter houses with no yards or property?

 

[Darkbeer1]

So I guess it would be this lot for Wild Rivers?

You got to enjoy the packed in communist style block housing developments on the other end of the park. Why do people like cookie cutter houses with no yards or property?

Seems like the younger generation prefers to not do yard work, and doesn't mind living so close to each other. I was discussing this with a planning staffer on Monday. Who knows, maybe folks love housing similar to Russia?

 

[D.Silentu]

I miss Irvine Meadows Amphitheater too.

Second, it was probably my favorite venue. I was usually up in the peasant gallery on the grass where you got a good view of the stage and a great view of Orange County.

 

[Phroobar]

Seems like the younger generation prefers to not do yard work, and doesn't mind living so close to each other. I was discussing this with a planning staffer on Monday. Who knows, maybe folks love housing similar to Russia?

Those houses are just ugly. No style. Probably lots of association dues too.

 

[Th3 DUd3]

Growing up we had the choice of Raging Waters or Wild Rivers and I always liked WR better. It was because for like $5 more you could have access to the ACTUAL wave pool and not the regular one. I would spend all day in there bodyboarding.

Only thing I would ask is that they bring that back and better.

 

[NobodyElse]

So I guess it would be this lot for Wild Rivers?

You got to enjoy the packed in communist style block housing developments on the other end of the park. Why do people like cookie cutter houses with no yards or property?

I'm thinking more like this (royal blue for the water park, light blue for parking) :

Your red location was probably closer to the originally proposed area, as that land between the railroad tracks and Marine Way was considered the "Cultural Terrace" in early park drawings.

 

[NobodyElse]

PS: Here is I think one of the later drawings:

 

[SevenSevens]

Two different lazy rivers?

 

[Phroobar]

Two different lazy rivers?

That second lazy river is a latrine. It says Restrooms (typical).

 

[socalifornian]

Two different lazy rivers?

Be cool if one was a faster style like Roa’s Rapids at Orlando’s Aquatica

 

[NobodyElse]

Just a few random notes (and images)

Regarding that second lazy river: It wasn't included in earlier drawings. It seems to have been added late last year. Here the area is shown as perhaps a grassy picnic area - ripe for future expansion.

It may or may not be interesting that the second lazy river doesn't show any lounge chairs or cabanas.

Arguably one of the most notable elements of the old Wild Rivers was "the hill". It featured most of their slides, and really set it apart from parks like Soak City. I recall their CEO stating that the hill (or a hill) would return at the new park. This area appears to be what he was talking about:

While not as comprehensive as the old hill (and likely not as charming) it at least appears to be one area that doesn't employ a "stair tower" to reach the slides.

Lastly, here's a little rough overlay I came up with to show the location in the Great Park. (Hopefully a bit more useful than my last scribble.)

 

[NobodyElse]

https://www.facebook.com/WildRiversWaterpark

"We submitted our site design to the City of Irvine this week. We hope to have the design and environmental reviews completed and in front of the Planning Committee in September. This will let us break ground at the beginning of 2021 and open in May of 2022. "

 

[Stevek]

https://www.facebook.com/WildRiversWaterpark

"We submitted our site design to the City of Irvine this week. We hope to have the design and environmental reviews completed and in front of the Planning Committee in September. This will let us break ground at the beginning of 2021 and open in May of 2022. "


View attachment 487093

So it appears to have changed a bit. No longer 2 lazy rivers. Feels slightly more compact than the original drawings but could just be my tired eyes.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Today's OC Register article says the new site is about 20 Acres. The original one was about 14 Acres.

 

[Phroobar]

I wonder if it will have any call backs to Lion Country Safari like the old park did.

 

[Professortango1]

Seems like the younger generation prefers to not do yard work, and doesn't mind living so close to each other. I was discussing this with a planning staffer on Monday. Who knows, maybe folks love housing similar to Russia?

Yards are a waste of space/resources in most cases. I enjoy having a vegetable garden and small grove for food purposes, but most people's front yards are just a flat piece of grass they don't do anything with.