Former Rocky Point manager has plan for water park

Posted 8/28/14

Rocky Point Amusement Park is gone, but the man who managed many park operations for 20 years aims to create a park where families will have fun and make memories for future generations to …

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Former Rocky Point manager has plan for water park

Posted

Rocky Point Amusement Park is gone, but the man who managed many park operations for 20 years aims to create a park where families will have fun and make memories for future generations to come.

David Cascioli, who now lives in Tampa, Fla., managed the Midway and Rocky Point rides during the summer and directed the maintenance crew in the offseason. Cascioli is listed as the manager of Cascade Water Park LLC, which was incorporated on April 24, 2014, as a Rhode Island company. A Facebook page, Rhode Island Water Park, was launched July 31. It had nearly 4,000 friends as of this week.

“I think Rhode Island needs something,” Cascioli said. “You can’t bring Rocky Point back.”

Rather than “looking out the rear window,” he said, Rhode Island should be looking ahead and to an alternative to Rocky Point.

Cascioli not only has plans for a water park, but also a location just off Route 295 in Johnston and, should everything come together, a scheduled opening in 2016. As agreements have not been finalized, Cascioli did not name the location other than to identify it as “raw land” and indicate that the proposed water park would be 14 acres, of which six acres would be the park footprint with the balance of the land used for parking.

Cascioli is no stranger to water parks. He has helped design, build and manage water parks in India, Jamaica and Michigan.

He said he would start with a medium-sized water park comprised of a variety of rides. The centerpiece to the park would be 65-foot- and 75-foot-towers with slides. In all, there would be 12 slides. In addition, he has planned a 20,000-square-foot wave pool capable of producing six different wave patterns. Cascioli said straight-on surf waves are most popular, but there won’t be any surfboarding.

“That’s too dangerous,” he said.

He said there would be tubes and mats for surfing.

“People love the surf,” he said. “It would be absent jellyfish, red tide and sharks”

In addition, the park would have a “lazy river,” a 14- to 16-foot-wide river with a flow of three miles an hour.

“People like to just relax in a tube,” he said.

Along the 1,000-foot-long river there would be spray fountains blowing over it.

The park would also include special areas for children and even toddlers.

Cascioli described an “interactive zone” for children ages 8 to 14 where they could open valves to shoot water and trigger buckets that dump water. The tots’ zone would provide wet surfaces but be designed to prevent the accumulation of any water. There would be sprays and geysers “would pop up from the ground.”

But while the website, www.rhodeislandwaterpark.com, shows plans and pictures of the proposed park, Cascioli is first to admit it’s a long way from reality. He said location and money are two critical components.

Although he has a lead on the location, he said that hasn’t been finalized.

In fact, his plan was news to Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena.

“As long as it would be paying taxes, it would be a great concept,” he said Tuesday.

Polisena believes the site to be a part of a 110-acre parcel off 295 that has been the suggested site of several different developments. The mayor said he has talked with a “potential developer” of the property and that his preference would be for businesses that operate 12 months out of the year, as that would mean long-term jobs. But he’s not adverse to a water park since that would bring people into the area, which would be a benefit to existing businesses. He said the use would require the proper zoning, and he made it clear a water park would not be eligible for a tax break.

“If you ask me, I think it’s pie in the sky at this point,” Polisena said.

Cascioli agrees it’s a dream for the moment. He said he has talked with the manufacturers of water park equipment and has listed what he would need down to the chairs and the parasols.

And what he would need to make it all happen, in addition to a location, is $12 million. Assuming those two elements come together, Cascioli said construction would take place next year, with the park opening in 2016.

Cascioli said the ticket cost at the park would be less than $35, which is less than what similar parks charge. There would be a reduced charge for children.

Cascioli said the park would operate 100 days of the year. According to the website, the park is projected to attract 100,000 visitors from Massachusetts who would help stimulate the state’s economy.

Comments

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  • jtaxassoc

    At the end of the day businesses that provide seasonal forms of recreation must be allowed to have their taxation reflect that. The reality here is 92% of the politicians in this overly taxed state are Democrats which is to say puppets of the communistic greedy unions that have taken over our state and municipalities to say the least. Anyway, good luck with this venture, Peter A. Filippi III

    Friday, August 29, 2014 Report this

  • HerbTokerman

    That will be a great place for a waterpark, the stench of the dump nearby will emulate low tide at the ocean.

    Saturday, August 30, 2014 Report this

  • bunnie

    Rocky Point Park was mismanaged for years and was run into the ground. This doesnt say much for a former manager of the park. Rhode Island has the highest unemployment rate in the country, who could afford to go there? It would nice to see some additional jobs come to RI, but its only seasonal not much help.

    Tuesday, September 2, 2014 Report this

  • francO18

    We "old timers" sure remember Oakland Beach ,before the '54 hurricane.We had a merry go round, a theater,a bowling alley,a roller skating rink and a lot of ways a kid could make a buck at any of the many restaurant's..and the ones who had a boat, and/or rakes could make out O K. And delivering papers for Miss Booth or working on Morris'and Confreder's Farms was always to help out with the bills in the house, and take home some allowed amount of vegetable. Same with Mr Mayette's seafood company,and the Real "Jimmy the Greek" would work you on the weekends..as long as you stayed out of the customer's way.And Mickey Stevens would send you to Jefferson Blvd. to load trucks...Communistic Greedy Unions again...

    And oh yes Mr.Filippi we were all "communistic greedy union people"...I know 2 Republican gentleman who constantly berate the Unions and Democrats.And their wives are retired UNION teachers who are covered by Their pension. If you saw the F D R program on P B S,and are old enough,you would understand.Not that Ike didn't make a reference to Industrial- Military complex ,that is really screwing things up.

    Imagine we are committed to these F-35 planes to knock out terrorist in Toyota trucks.Talk about firepower.!!

    All Priorities Peter,,Myself if I am lucky enough to get Back to R I I hope to see a citizen's park next to the Aldrich Estate.

    I made reference to all that was Good about Oakland Beach. For when the people came from" big cities". the Locals with Warwick's finest ,

    kept "law and order".....lemme see..how many Acres of water slide ,and how many for Parking.????

    Where will I sit with all my grand kids...I'll help with the design for a Park... Non Union and free...is that O K Pete?

    Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Report this