The basic work for “Bellevue Bay” is now expected to begin in March 2025

BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – City officials were hoping to begin groundwork on the water park in the fall, as the schedule has now been pushed back to March. Economic and Community Development Director Harrison Johnson said the city will not need to do any new work starting in the spring.

• Construction on Bellevue Bay is now expected to begin in March 2025
• City officials say the design was just completed and is currently being finalized
• The city is still aiming for a completion date of late 2026

TRANSCRIPT:

That property will soon be built for Bellevue’s new water park, but perhaps not as quickly as the city had hoped.

City officials had hoped to break ground in the fall, but now that schedule has been pushed back.

Groundbreaking for the new $60 million Bellevue Bay is now scheduled for March 2025. Economic and Community Development Director Harrison Johnson said the design was just completed and the city is now in the process of completing design development.

“We have to get through the final part of the design development, work out the guaranteed maximum price with our construction manager and then once the winter thaws a bit,” Johnson said.

Plans for the water park began moving forward in July after the city received approval for a Good Life District.

The city hoped to break ground on the project in the fall, but Johnson said breaking ground on the site before winter could cost the city additional money.

“This puts us in a somewhat dangerous time frame to begin serious grading for the master’s grading in the winter,” he said. “That was really changing the timeline to make sure we didn’t have to go back and redo the work.”

As for the rest of the Good Life District, Johnson said the city is still in the concept phase for the entertainment district that will be built next to Bellevue Bay.

“We are in the process of finalizing and beginning the process of where buildings and businesses will go,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the city will give neighbors the opportunity to participate in the master site next year, and in late December to early January neighbors will be able to see the finished design models of the Bellevue Bay water park.

The city is still aiming for a completion date of late 2026.