A clear retractable roof designed to withstand hurricanes and sea salt will allow a $100 million oceanfront waterpark in Atlantic City, N.J. to provide a year-round entertainment option in the seaside resort other than gambling.

Located at the former Showboat Hotel Casino, Island Waterpark is scheduled to open in time for Memorial Day or sometime in June, according to the project’s Philadelphia-based developer, Tower Investments, which operates Showboat as a non-gambling hotel.

“We are incredibly excited to begin this next phase in our development as a premier tourist destination,” Bart Blatstein, Tower’s founder and chief executive said in a news release. “Showboat is committed to bringing non-gaming, family-friendly entertainment back to Atlantic City, and the waterpark is one more piece to that puzzle.”

The project broke ground in January 2022.

Located at the former Showboat Hotel Casino, the $100-million Island Waterpark in Atlantic City, N.J. could be open in time for Memorial Day.
Rendering courtesy OpenAire Inc.

Interior & Exterior Designs

Covering the 103,000-sq-ft waterpark, the clear retractable aluminum enclosure is designed to be stable during hurricane season but also resistant to the effects of salt and moisture from the waterpark and the Atlantic Ocean, according to the roof’s Canadian-based manufacturer and installer, OpenAire Inc.

Atlantic City-based SOSH Architects also helped design the roof. Martin Aquatic Design & Engineering of Orlando is providing interior designs and American Resort Management, Erie, Pa., is overseeing the development at the water park.

The waterpark includes panoramic views of the ocean and boardwalk from 1,000 ft above, a zip line, side-by-side water slides, a 30-ft-tall “Indoor Tree House” for parties, an outdoor lazy river and an enclosed 10,300-sq-ft splash pad and pool facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Plans also include restaurants and bars as well as retail stores and lounge areas.

The clear retractable aluminum enclosure was designed, manufactured and is being installed by the Canadian firm, OpenAire Inc. Atlantic City-based SOSH Architects also helped with the design.
Photo courtesy OpenAire Inc.

N.J. Tax Credits Aid Construction

A New Jersey state sales tax credit will help finance the waterpark over the course of 20 years and a tax break is being given on construction materials used to build the waterpark.

The CRDA (Casino Reinvestment Development Authority) in Atlantic City approved the designation of the project as an entertainment retail district.

CRDA approval meant the project would be entitled to an annual rebate of as much as $2.5 million in sales tax generated by it for 20 years.