Construction starts on industrial development replacing former surf park.
The former Big Surf Wave Park in Tempe is now in the past.
In its place, a new industrial development with three buildings totaling 689,000 square fee is rising across 35 acres at 1500 N. McClintock Drive just north of Tempe Town Lake.
The project, called NextWave Tempe, has started construction and is being developed by California-based Overton Moore Properties in partnership with Invesco Real Estate.
It’s expected to be delivered by the end of 2025.
Layton Construction is constructing the facility, which was designed by HPA Architecture.
Nexwave has garnered strong interest from potential tenants with the project’s leasing team, John Werstler, Cooper Fratt and Tanner Ferrandi of CBRE Group Inc.
Pre-lease negotiations are currently underway for the development. It’s aiming to attract companies in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, e-commerce and logistics.
“Nextwave Tempe will a premier class A industrial park, and its exceptional location, on the former grounds of a beloved water park, will offer modern innovation, making it an ideal hub for forward-thinking tenants, ” said Werstler, executive vice president at CBRE, in a statement.
Jason Hines, managing director at OMP, said the transformation of the iconic site will provide an “ideal hub” for companies looking for access to skilled labor and a strategic location.
It has close access to the Loops 101 and 202, as well as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The buildings can accommodate users from 32, 000 square feet up to 258,727 square feet and will feature heavy power, full HVAC, spec offices and secured truck yards.
Big Surf, which opened in 1969 as one of the nation’s first wave pools, shut down for good in 2022. Shortly after, OMP acquired the site after for nearly $5 million and secured city approvals for its project.