What is Montgomery Whitewater? Everything we know about the $90M park

When local officials announced plans for the massive Montgomery Whitewater facility in 2019, they promised it would be “bigger and better” than any development the city had seen. Three-and-a-half years later, they’re sticking by that promise.

The government-backed outdoor recreation and entertainment venue will feature two whitewater rafting channels situated between a walking trail, a restaurant and a new amphitheater next door to Maxwell Air Force Base. Then, after the current phase of construction, plans are to add infrastructure for activities like paddleboarding and kayaking in the Alabama River, mountain biking, ziplining and more.

The project was initially estimated to clock in around $50 million, but that number has ticked upward over time to about $90 million, as the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent supply chain management issues and other issues caused delays.

Recently, Whitewater has found itself included in the statewide conversation around Alabama’s education budget — causing confusion about what the project is, who’s funding it and why it’s being built in the first place.

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Montgomery Whitewater.

More: Montgomery Whitewater is not a water park. Here's the difference

What does Whitewater have to do with Alabama’s education budget?

On March 21, Gov. Kay Ivey proposed that $25 million from the state’s education budget be allocated to the Montgomery County Commission “for economic development.” This proposal was part of a package that included funds to pay off what Birmingham spent on the World Games, to relocate commercial airline operations in Mobile and more.

Specifically, the money would come from the record $8.8 billion in the Education Trust Fund.

The Montgomery County Commission has since specified that it would devote some, if not all, of that $25 million toward Whitewater and infrastructure projects in the cooperative district that controls the park.

What is the estimated total cost, and who’s paying?

When the first plans for Whitewater debuted publicly, the price tag was an estimated $50 million. Of that, $35 million was to come from a pool of public and private funds controlled by the Montgomery County Commission, while the city contributed about $16 million in land.

Since then, the total cost has nearly doubled.

With construction 85-90% complete, Montgomery Whitewater general manager Dave Hepp said the park’s estimated total cost is up to $90 million.

“We are very grateful for the support of the county and the city, who have kicked in to support us up to this point, and we appreciate the governor and state legislators' support as well,” Hepp said.

A few months ago, the Montgomery City Council and the Montgomery County Commission each approved up to $10 million in additional funding for the project, meaning up to $20 million total. If state legislators approve Ivey’s proposal, that $25 million would top off the funding for the project.

When is opening day?

Montgomery Whitewater at one point planned an opening day celebration for Memorial Day weekend 2023. Hepp said the Whitewater team is still aiming to have a soft opening that weekend, but the grand opening will be July 8.

“That's sort of our goal: to treat the month of June as a soft opening period,” Hepp said. “A lot of that is based on our capacities in terms of how many people we can fit in the park and have enjoying the activities like whitewater rafting, inflatable kayaking, etc.”

Eddy’s at Montgomery Whitewater, the onsite restaurant that overlooks the water channels, will open at the same time as the rest of the park this summer. Hepp said they named the restaurant Eddy’s because in whitewater rafting an eddy is a calm spot in the river.

Also, the venue plans to host a concert series in its amphitheater this fall.

Do customers have to pay to visit Whitewater?

Entering the park is free, but customers will have to pay to participate in whitewater rafting and other activities. Hepp said the main pricing structure will include single activity passes, day passes and season passes.

When will Montgomery see its impact on economic development?

It already has, according to Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chief Officer of Economic Development Ellen McNair.

McNair routinely uses Whitewater as a recruitment tool to show companies the future Montgomery is investing in for itself.

She said while companies used to simply look for places with low-cost operations to set up shop, it takes much more than that now.

“These companies are looking for a quality of place where they can recruit a talented workforce, where they can keep their workforce,” McNair said. “We had to develop new tools that would allow us to get out there and compete with other communities, and this Whitewater project was just such an amazing project that checks every one of those boxes.”

In the past two years since Montgomery Whitewater broke ground, McNair said the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce has recruited over 40 new and expanding companies and over $2 billion in capital investment.

For comparison, when Hyundai came to the area in 2002, it was a $1.1 billion investment, and that was one of the biggest she had ever seen.

“Those numbers are off the charts,” McNair said. “It's so many different things, but I don't think that it's just coincidental that our ability to attract companies here is coinciding with the development of this amazing resource and venue. Absolutely every site selection group that comes to Montgomery, we take them to Whitewater.”

According to Whitewater representatives, the potential annual economic impact of the project is an estimated $36 million.

Who’s going to make money on this project?

Profits made at the park and restaurant will go back into the project, according to Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton.

The park and its 600-700 seat restaurant are part of the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District, and the profits those businesses earn will technically go back to that district, which will invest them in maintenance and upgrades for the park and restaurant, Singleton said.

A cooperative district is a quasi-governmental body created by local governments to focus on specific projects. These districts have a governing body, but function more like a corporation, with the power to work out project details, enter into contracts and impose fees on sales.

Some taxes may still be imposed on sales at the park, according to Leslie Sanders, chair of the cooperative district, but exact details aren't clear right now. Alabama law says cooperative districts are generally exempt from sales taxes.

"Sales at Montgomery Whitewater will be subject to the appropriate taxes and fees depending upon the type of transactions with a percentage going back into the park for continued development, growth and upkeep," Sanders said in a statement.

But Singleton said the city and county should be able to recoup their investment in tax revenue generated outside the district. He said new businesses and infrastructure improvements are coming to the area near Maxwell Air Force Base, with the park serving as a catalyst for new development.

“Everything that’s developing outside the (park) gates is where the focus needs to be because that’s where the real profit for the city and county is,” Singleton said. “Whitewater’s just the catalyst.”

What do state legislators think about the project?

Most legislators, particularly the Montgomery delegation, support the project and see it an important step toward growing the local economy, boosting tourism and improving quality of life for those at nearby Maxwell Air Force Base.

But some are concerned that some of the money for the development is coming out of the education budget.

"Like many, I was surprised to find out that governor's budget proposed using education funds for what is really an economic development project," Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, said in a statement. Ensler added that he recognized the importance of this project and its completion.

"If the money is for construction costs of this project then I do not think it's appropriate for those funds to come from the ETF — no matter how large the surplus."

Others who were surprised to see funding coming from the education budget were less concerned with that, and more concerned with getting the project built.

"This is not an educational project, but I think the governor has agreed to help the project, and the education fund has got a lot of money in it," said Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road. "That's her decision and not mine. I don't sit on" the committee that makes changes to the Education Trust Fund budget.

Rep. Kenyatté Hassell, D-Montgomery, didn't see it as too big of a deal that $25 million comes from the Education Trust Fund budget, which totals $8.3 billion. But that funding could also be changed to come from the General Fund, he said.

Others also stressed the importance of improving the area around Maxwell Air Force Base so Montgomery doesn't lose the base to another city.

What do Montgomery City Councilors think about Whitewater?

City Council President Charles Jinright is excited for Whitewater to open.

“I think it’s a great addition to the city. I think a lot of people will enjoy it. I just hope we have enough to make it carry its own weight," Jinright said about the money Whitewater will bring in.

City Councilor Audrey Graham emphasized the millions of dollars being spent on the venue.

“There is so much money being invested at this point that we have to have some excitement about it,” she said.

City Council Member Clay McInnis said in an email that improving the area around Maxwell has been a goal of city and county leadership for a long time, and Whitewater will help accomplish it.

City Councilor Marche Johnson said that the park is sure to draw in visitors as well as more corporations to the city.

“We’re talking about marketing 250 miles east, north, west and south Montgomery,” she said.

As a veteran herself, Johnson said that this type of entertainment will be good for the military community as well.

Jinright agreed.

“It’s a great looking facility,” Jinright said. “It’ll be impressive to the people. I think it will be impressive to the people at Maxwell Air Force Base.”

How do Maxwell Air Force Base officials feel about Whitewater?

People at the base are looking forward to visiting the park, 42nd Air Base Wing Commander Col. Ryan Richardson said in a statement.

“Whitewater represents a great opportunity for military, civilian and contract personnel assigned to Maxwell-Gunter to experience world-class recreation, dining and entertainment just outside the gate,” he said.

Richardson expects there to be increased traffic on Maxwell Boulevard during Whitewater's peak hours of operation. He also said that the base will monitor that flow, and he will make adjustments as he sees fit.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanMealins. Hadley Hitson covers the rural South for the Montgomery Advertiser and Report for America. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or 479-926-9570.

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This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Whitewater: Everything we know about the $90M park