Montgomery Whitewater, a 120-acre park featuring Olympic-standard water sport courses, broke ground Thursday with plans for a 2023 opening.
Heart of the park is a recirculating whitewater course for rafting, kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding. It also offers a chance to practice whitewater rescue skills.
Out of the water, the park will offer hiking and mountain biking trails, climbing areas, ropes courses and zip lines.
In addition, it will offer restaurants and space suitable for conferences or outdoor concerts and festivals.
Southern Whitewater Development Group is lead on the project, which is expected to have a $39.8 million economic impact from construction and $35 million annually from operation.
“The Montgomery County Community Cooperative District, a board of select community leaders formed to oversee the construction of the center located in west Montgomery, hired local company JESCO Inc. Construction as its construction manager at risk,” the team said in a written statement.
“Today is a milestone for Montgomery,” said Mayor Steven L. Reed. “The Whitewater project can be a catalyst to transform our city and this entire region. We are being intentional in our work to attract new opportunities for growth and investment by marketing areas outside of traditional development zones. Today’s celebration would be impossible without or partners who believed in the potential of this project, and we look forward to bringing even more visitors to Alabama and the River Region.”
