Randall’s Island water park plans scrapped

City officials have cancelled the controversial construction of a water park on Randall’s Island after the developer failed to meet the deadline for securing the financing to complete the project.
Aquatic Development Group, a private company, had been granted a seven-month extension after missing the initial deadline this February.
They then failed to meet the second deadline, set for the week of September 17.
The accompanying 35-year contract between the company and the city is now null and void.
New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson expressed his enthusiasm over the cancellation, saying, “I would like to thank Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg for terminating this contract and initiating a new process to best meet the needs of the community,” he said. “I am hopeful that the announcement will lead to improved recreational opportunities on Randall’s Island to benefit city residents.”
Geoffrey Croft of the New York City Park Advocates shared Thompson’s enthusiasm.
“We are gratified that this ill-conceived project has been stopped,” he said. “However, it should never have been allowed to go forward in the first place. Turning over vast amounts of public parkland for economic development projects in exchange for maintenance dollars for the park is not the solution. Our elected officials must begin to take funding for park maintenance seriously.”
Plans for the new water park had been announced in the spring of 2006. Estimated to cost more than $200 million to construct, the project was expected to provide hundreds of jobs.
Some residents criticized the proposed facility, arguing that the 26-acre water park would make the island too commercial.
With admission prices averaging $30 a person, some residents also feared it would leave out low-income visitors.