Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. has broken ground on its newest resort in Naples.
The 21st resort in North America will feature 500 family-friendly suites and an expansive 100,000-square-foot indoor water park on 20 acres next to the County Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Collier County.
With an investment of more than $250 million dollars from Great Wolf’s shareholders Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, Great Wolf Lodge and its construction partner Suffolk estimate the number of construction and trade workers on-site will range between 250-500 daily during the build.
Stantec is the lead architect for the project and the Estero-based division of Suffolk will lead the overall construction. Neuman Pools, a family-owned, design/build company of large-scale water attractions, will oversee construction for the indoor water park and outdoor pool areas. Custom fabricator, ID3 Group, will design and build the mystical Spirit Water Forest theming found throughout the resort.
With a rough construction timeline of 18-24 months, Great Wolf Lodge South Florida is expected to celebrate its grand opening in spring/summer of 2024.
“This resort will offer families in the Sunshine State an easy, carefree escape, where parents and kids have the opportunity to laugh and play together and strengthen their family bonds,” said Murray Hennessy, CEO for Great Wolf Resorts.
“South Florida has been on our radar for some time, and now, thanks in large part to the tremendous support from Collier County as well our shareholders Blackstone and Centerbridge Partners, we’re excited to make this resort a reality.”
According to an economic impact report commissioned by Collier County and conducted by Hunden Strategic Partners, the resort will help bring $5 billion in new net spending into the region, and the County is expected to receive $150 million in tax revenue over the next 30-years.
Project features:
- 100,000-sq. ft. indoor waterpark featuring a variety of body slides, tube slides, raft rides, activity pools and splash areas.
- 62,000-sq. ft. family entertainment center
- Yoga Tails
- Several dining facilities
- Family-friendly suites
- 13,000 sq. ft. of conference space
- energy and water conservation measures, such as energy-saving LED lighting and special water filters to reduce consumption
“Aside from the thousands of construction jobs required to build the resort, Great Wolf Lodge will need more than 600 employees to operate its resort,” said Collier County Board Chairman Bill McDaniel.
