Drawn to the Water

The transformation of waterfront property into a recreation destination is complicated and rewarding for communities and investors. People are drawn to the water, and in locations that don’t have any, digging water features has become a popular way to capitalize on the attraction of wet fun. 

Water-adjacent land is so varied in types of water, forms of ownership, goals of construction and remodeling, size and shape of the waterfront development, and challenges posed by the state of the land to be developed, but there are many things in common for municipalities and private investors who are interested in the possibilities. 

Jason Stangland, senior principal and waterfront director for architecture firm SmithGroup, said the most common challenge for waterfront developers is finding the dollars, not just for new projects but for maintaining the spaces and facilities they already have. 

“Waterfront recreation spaces are more loved than ever, and in some cases maybe a bit over-loved,” he said. “Heavier use means more wear and tear. Funding maintenance isn’t a new challenge nor the sexiest way to spend money, but increased use is demanding it.” 

Joseph Sutkowi, chief waterfront design officer for Waterfront Alliance, a nonprofit waterfront access group, agreed that maintenance funding cannot be overlooked. “Who is going to take care of a park or waterfront space in the long-term and with what funds?” asked Sutkowi. “That is a question that forever lingers and should be tackled early on as an ongoing project phase.” 

For all projects, there is a need for significant and meaningful community engagement, said Stangland, and this engagement needs to be real and authentic. If done well, it results in broad-based community support and buy-in. 

Stangland said there is very little pristine waterfront land available for development. This means clients are frequently redeveloping what’s left, which often involves brownfields and former industrial sites. These sites present a host of challenges, from remediation to limitations on earthwork, construction, and stormwater infiltration. But they also present incredible opportunities for renewing a community’s relationship to the water. 

“People aren’t settling for a cursory process or anything they perceive to be insincere,” Stangland said. “While advancing a more robust community engagement process can be challenging, the bigger challenges tend to arise when municipalities and park districts limit or try to fast-track the necessary process.” 

Stangland’s firm worked with Metroparks Toledo as it oversees the city’s $250 million riverfront investment called the Glass City Riverwalk, a five-mile project connecting three bridges and two sides of the Maumee River. Opened in 2023, the project on a former industrial site features: 

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  The Ribbon, an 800-foot-long ice skating trail and skating pond frozen from beneath a concrete surface and smoothed with a Zamboni. In warmer months, roller-skaters enjoy the smooth surface. 

• The Grosbeak Discovery Play tower, standing 40 feet tall and packed with as many play features as could be safely incorporated. 
• The Prairie + Pollinator Discovery Play area, a dynamic play experience inspired by the flora and fauna of the region. 
• The Mini Maumee Water Play area with a waterfall, streams, and water-spitting frogs. It includes a scaled depiction of the Maumee River watershed. 
• The Cove, a former commercial marina redesigned as a naturalized, protected area to enjoy kayaking. The cove is enclosed by a boardwalk with a series of elevated decks and overlooks connected by rope bridges. 
• Market Hall, a 10,400-square-foot park building that is home to a restaurant, beer garden, equipment rentals, restrooms, lockers, and event space. 
• A glass pavilion, event lawn, and sledding hill were features of an earlier phase of the park while the remainder of the property was in development. 

The award-winning project started with the goals of the community, with continuous resident feedback as the project progressed, said Jennifer Van Horn, chief planning and construction officer for Metroparks Toledo. 

“We actively invest in work in the community, hearing from them, building trust, and working with partners actively to build those relationships,” said Van Horn. “We work on those relationships from concept, design, building, and activations, and if at any point this was not a focus, it might fail. As a result, this is actively a focus of the Glass City Riverwalk, and all phases incorporate local, state, and national trends in recreation and accessibility.” 

Two other Toledo goals were resident-related, said Van Horn: to connect the community to its waterfront and to advance regional connectivity. The importance of the project to Toledo citizens and the city’s effective marketing of it is reflected in the funding: a $2 million property tax levy for Lucas County residents, philanthropic support, and federal, state, and local funding and grant support. Taxpayers voted in 2020 to approve a 10-year property tax, which will support less than 50% of the cost of the project. 

“One of the special aspects of Glass City Riverwalk, to me, is connecting neighborhoods to the water,” Van Horn said. “Some residents have lived near the river their whole lives but were not able to utilize it. We actively heard from residents that they had never been on the riverfront even with them only living a couple hundred feet from it. The land was an industrial brownfield for generations and unusable to the public.” 

Van Horn said the Maumee River has been a barrier for generations in Toledo, and the Riverwalk will bridge that barrier. The design calls for five miles of multi-use path connecting both sides of the river. 

“It gives everyone the ability to connect into two Metroparks and five miles of trails and over 200 acres of greenspace, 115 acres of which is complete to date,” she said. “Projects cannot be successful without buy-in from the start and continuing those relationships. The lesson learned is that we might not have all the community needs or solutions but we can be a convener of those conversations and support the community in that way.” 

When the Chicago Park District added a path to 18 miles of Lake Michigan lakefront so bicyclists and walkers/runners could each have their own, it heeded feedback from city dwellers and path users, said Heather Gleason, director of planning and development for the CPD. 

“Communication with residents before, during, and after construction is crucial,” Gleason said. “Residents had very strong feelings about what types of traffic belonged where and what uses might be impacted by having a new trail added to the lakefront. We used public meetings, website, and social media platforms to communicate, and asked nonprofit partners as well. We also issued press releases so local media could help spread the word.” 

Also related to community outreach and buy-in is phasing of a project, not just for budgeting purposes or out of necessity as funds became available, but to get the community excited, said Stangland. “As the old saying goes, ‘Momentum grows when implementation occurs,’” he said. 

“I’ve learned from both observation and experience that you need to complete an initial catalytic phase or demonstration project within three to five years of completing a waterfront plan for it to succeed. Even the best plan won’t get legs if people don’t believe it can get implemented. That initial built phase is the proof you need to keep the momentum going and tap into more sources of support and funding. 

“For (the City of) Euclid’s waterfront plan, that initial project was the Sims Park Joseph Farrell Fishing Pier. In addition to establishing a trailhead for the larger pathway and beach/bluff improvements to come, people got a taste of what the city’s lakefront could be and wanted more. People will go down that longer road with you if they’re excited about where you’re going and believe it will happen.” 

For every major public project funded by taxes and grants and philanthropy, there are many that are smaller or private and commercial ventures. The locations may need to make their own water feature and top it with docking and piers, climbing and bouncing structures, and the depth to handle the action. On the sides are concessions and shade structures, places to change clothes, and parking. 

The rise of waterfront development in general and manmade water attractions specifically has driven growth in companies that make inflatable attractions and docks for boats and personal watercraft that are made not from wood but weather- and water-resistant materials for longer life and increased safety. 

Rob Blakely is a senior vice president for a company that makes and sells floating modular docks made from durable material. The docks provide flexible interlocking setups for most watercraft docking, as well as small watercraft lifts for accessibility needs. 

Blakley said because of the docks’ modular designs, all budgets can take advantage and users can add more docking and features as more funds are available. “The introduction of modular floating docks revolutionized the industry,” he said. “Made from materials like high-density polyethylene, these systems are lightweight, durable, and easy to assemble.” 

One of the ways Ryan Hartberg’s company helps organizations and businesses interested in top-of-water recreation is with what it calls water-based family entertainment centers (WBFECs). The vice president of sales and marketing said this concept began with a floating trampoline in the 1990s and is now manifested with floating inflatable structures called aquaparks that can keep 400 people happy at a time. 

Formerly, said Hartberg, developers would buy land and build a pool, or look for land with an existing body of water on it or at least access to an adjacent public body of water, because that would help control costs. “What we see now is that developers are buying land in the right location and digging their own recreation ponds or lakes for the purpose of creating a WBFEC for the sole purpose of being an attraction, monetizing the amenity, and making profit,” he said. 

“Similarly, public entities are looking at ways to ‘activate their waterfront’ to provide more recreation amenities than just a swimming beach. If the municipality or county or state park is not in a position to operate an aquapark, then there are concessionaires who can operate the parks for them and share in any profits—a true public-private partnership.” 

Hartberg has advice for those who are interested in such an investment: 

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  First, try to establish a shared purpose that is adopted by all key stakeholders: Why do you want to do this? What will this do for the community? And how will you know if it’s successful? 

• Second, create the vision and a master plan. This will allow you to gather further feedback from stakeholders, the community, and potential funding sources, including donors and grants. 
• Third, consider phasing the project to reduce costs on engineering and construction and ease the burden on fundraising. Whether you phase or not, understand timelines and build in buffers. Dealing with cities, states, counties, neighbors, planning commissions, utility companies, contractors, manufacturers, let alone your own teams, these projects can get complex with a lot of moving parts, so rushing to do something in six months that should take 18 months is shortsighted. 
• Fourth, hire a competent engineering and design team who understand local codes and processes to develop good construction plans. Have a qualified recreation specialist on the design team, particularly when it comes to creating recreation lakes or WBFECs and how to monetize and operate with best practices. 
• Fifth, procure quality equipment from vetted distributors and manufacturers that comply with all U.S./ASTM International/Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements and guidelines, have met testing standards, and are insured. 
• Sixth, hire competent contractors and installers with knowledge of the products. 

“People love water,” said Hartberg. “Guests pay more to be by and recreate in water. So, whether it’s swimming, fishing, kayaking, going down waterslides, floating, rafting, boating, or sunbathing by the water, giving guests access to water will generate visitors.” 

Lake Nighthorse in Durango, Colo., features an aquapark, installed in 2021 after the worst of the pandemic, said Operations Supervisor Sean Willis. The $125,000 purchase price is offset by a $5 fee per user, Willis said. 

“The main goals were to provide a safe and fun recreation experience for our community, and I think we have exceeded our goals,” Willis said. “Our aquapark usually sells out our sessions every day.” 

Willis said the main challenge for the location is hiring enough lifeguards. He recommends to those who consider such a destination that they offer life jackets as an option as crowded and slippery conditions can risk safety. 

“The main lessons that we learned were to charge for sessions and limit the amount of people on the aquapark at a time,” said Willis. “We were being overrun with patrons, and it wasn’t a safe or friendly environment for the first season.” 

Along with his brothers Rich and Adam, Joseph Makowski owns Land of Natura in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Broken into three regions, Aquatica, Rivertopia, and Wanderland, for lake, river, and forest recreation, Land of Natura boasts what it calls America’s largest inflatable waterpark, Waterworld. 

Joseph Makowski said phases and responsiveness to changing conditions have helped with the park’s success. Phasing was crucial to allow for adjustments to future phases based on past phases’ performance, he said. 

“A significant lesson learned was the value of flexibility in planning, allowing us to adapt to feedback and enhance the project’s outcome,” he said. “We implemented phased development to effectively manage resources and allow for adjustments based on the success of each phase, minimizing risks and ensuring quality.” 

Makowski said part of the funding came from grants related to sustainability, an important aspect of any waterfront development, especially in a climate change environment. 

Developers in Toldeo promised the community it would reforest the area they worked on for Glass City Riverwalk, and thus far it has done so for half of the nine acres affected. It was no small feat as the land involved had industrial sediment that did not support tree growth, said Van Horn. 

“We brought in truckloads and tons of topsoil to grow in, but it wasn’t enough,” she said. “We had to learn what can be successful from a planting standpoint in an urban setting, but also working with the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority on dredge material, which was removed for the shipping channel on the Maumee River. The dredge material is high in nutrients, which for our property was needed as fly ash would not support plant growth. We used this mixed with the topsoil to build the soil at Glass City to plant a forest and other plants.” 

Sutkowi said sustainability in waterfront development design and materials is trending alongside resilience—protecting waterfronts from climate change and erosion—and using more natural features rather than concrete at the water’s edge. Waterfront Alliance developed a ratings system named Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) to help waterfront developers tackle challenges posed by urban settings and climate change. 

“The future of waterfront recreation development is resilient, ecological, and accessible—you need all three of the WEDG elements to maintain your favorite activities,” he said. “If you are seeking to swim, fish, or kayak for years to come, waterfront sites need to adapt to climate change impacts now. It’s all a matter of balance and going with the flow, so to speak: What is the nature of the site best suited for? How can goals for recreation be paired with goals for sustainability? And of course, having recreational users and groups work together with municipalities and project teams to create a vision for a better waterfront.”    RM