Multimillion-dollar sports complex ready to open Kansas hotel, water park

Bartians have a new day trip destination with the March 4 opening of Blast Off Bay in Goddard, Kansas.

In less than three hours, locals can be at the Wichita-based Genesis Health Clubs water park, which features large water slides and activities, a surf machine, a swim-up bar, a hot tub, a café and party rooms.

"We are the largest water park in the region," said Bryan Goff, the operations general manager at Genesis Sports Complex, which houses Blast Off Bay. "There's about 150,000 gallons of water (in here)."

The water park, which also features a lazy river, is attached to the recently opened health club, soon-to-open hotel and pool, and 10 regulation baseball and softball fence-to-fence turf diamonds. By 2025, the 92-acre complex expects to also house a steakhouse and sand volleyball and pickleball courts.

Goff said 6SSteakhouse is the planned restaurant. However, the café will open with the water park and serve pizza, hot dogs and sandwiches, similar to what exists in the baseball complex. In addition to national brands, the plan is to have locally brewed beer, including beer from Hutchinson.

"We also have a natatorium," Goff said. "It's a 10-lane competitive swimming and diving pool."

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In addition to the 1-meter springboard, there are 600 stadium seats. The pool ranges from 6 to 13 feet deep. The separate room also has a four-lane warmup pool.

"That'll be for programs, water aerobics, swim lessons," Goff said. "Members will be able to lap swim."

Because of supply chain issues, the pool, in which they hope to offer scuba diving, is not ready to open.

"We'll try and have it open in the next couple of months," Goff said.

Like the pool, the hotel is taking a little longer than expected. The reservation line at Hampton by Hilton said it will start taking reservations after May 12.

Hoping to be a destination location, the complex continues to increase its footprint. With the increased traffic, other businesses are starting to sprout up in Goddard.

This coming summer, ball players from nine states will make use of the ball fields.

"The whole goal is when kids come in to play baseball, they stay in the Hampton Inn Hotel, visit the water park and work out at the facility, the gym," said Scott Martin, director of the sports complex. "We'll attract several thousand people weekly."

The water park will be open from Thursday through Sunday, with rates ranging from $20 to $40, dependent on the person's height and the day of the week.

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Who owns the Genesis Health Clubs?

The complex is owned by Wichita-based Rodney Steven II, president of Genesis Health Clubs and part owner of other entities in Wichita. Genesis has 59 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa and Florida.

Steven and his brother, Brandon Steven, co-own the Wichita Thunder hockey team under Steven Brothers Sports Management. Steven is also co-owner of multiple car lots, including Eddy's Toyota, the Super Car Guys and Subaru of Wichita. He and his brother also run 6S Steakhouse in west Wichita.

Additionally, Steven also runs the nonprofit Genesis Foundation for Fitness and Tennis that funds scholarships for individuals interested in tennis, both for recreation and competition, and at-risk, disadvantaged and otherwise underfunded youth.

Blast Off Bay is the first water park that Genesis Health Clubs has built.

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This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Indoor water park Blast Off Bay in Goddard, Kansas ready to open