Star Tribune
Plans unveiled for scaled-back Mall of America water park
Plans to build a water park at the Mall of America in Bloomington are picking up steam again after previous efforts stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bloomington City Council will get an update and look at the concepts for the 143,000-square-foot Mystery Cove Waterpark at Mall of America during a joint meeting Thursday with the city’s Port Authority.
Though about a third smaller than previous plans, the water park will include a wave pool, lazy river, splash pad, 30 slides and rides and a fully retractable roof giving guests “visibility to the sky for an outdoor feel year-round,” a report from the Port Authority said.
The roof, use of advanced mechanical systems and its smaller footprint are projected to cut energy costs by 40% to 50% compared with previous plans, city documents said.
“Continuing to keep the Mall of America destination fresh, and developing attractions and experiences that bring new audiences, is essential to the financial health of the mall,” the report said. “MOA’s continued strong performance is essential to defraying the property tax that residents would otherwise need to pay.”
The City Council and Port Authority are expected to discuss options to finance the $300 million project that would also include a skyway connecting the park to the giant mall and a new parking deck. Future plans call for a hotel to be built, according to the report.
Billed as a tourist attraction for local, regional and international visitors, construction on the park that would have room for 3,000 guests at a time could start in 2025 and could open in late 2027.
“This is an area that swings back and forth depending on the election cycle, and it’s an area that really can deliver those decisive votes for candidates in a statewide election,” said Anthony Chergosky, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political science professor. “If the Harris-Walz ticket can develop a brand that helps them stop the party’s slide in rural Wisconsin, then that will massively help their path to victory.”
Both presidential campaigns have spent considerable time in Wisconsin. Trump recently visited the state four times in a span of eight days. Harris held rallies in La Crosse and Green Bay earlier this month, and Walz made stops in Eau Claire, Green Bay and Madison. Walz told a crowd gathered at a “Students for Harris-Walz” event in Eau Claire that “it’s very realistic to believe that this race will be won going through Wisconsin.”
Though both campaigns have made frequent visits to the Badger State, their stops appear to be geared toward shoring up their respective bases, retired GOP strategist Brandon Scholz said.
“I think Tim Walz’s job right now in Wisconsin, from what he’s saying and where he’s going and what he’s doing, is, ‘let’s make sure 99 percent of our voters turn out, because we need every single one of them because of how close Wisconsin is,’” Scholz said. “To date, neither he nor Harris have communicated a message to bring in those undecideds, ticket splitters.”
Ryan O’Gara is one of those undecideds. The 47-year-old Christian conservative lives in the village of Downing, some 20 miles northwest of Menomonie and home to about 230 people. O’Gara said he sees mostly Trump signs around his town, but he isn’t a fan of either nominee and likely will sit out this election.
Asked what he thought of Walz, O’Gara referred to him as “far-left.” He said he disagrees with allowing gender-affirming health care services for minors. Walz signed a bill into law last year making Minnesota a refuge for people seeking gender-affirming care.
But then, they were Lutherans.
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“It’s time for a hostage deal and cease-fire that ensures Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” Walz said on this year’s anniversary of Hamas’ 2023 attacks on Israel.
Polls indicate Minnesota will likely break for Harris, but in states where margins will be much tighter, some protest voters are choosing to vote for Harris despite their reservations.
Roman Fritz of Oconomowoc, Wis., voted early for Harris on Wednesday, he said, even though he remains deeply frustrated with her stance on the war.
Neither he nor Engelhart want to see Trump win. The Uncommitted National Movement has been trying to carve out a middle ground between opposing Trump and supporting Harris, with leaders saying a Trump presidency would be worse for Palestinians, and warning that votes for third-party candidates could result in a win for Trump. But the group declined to offer its endorsement to Harris.
Similarly, Fritz said, he did not feel he should talk his friends into voting for Harris, especially Palestinian American friends who have lost loved ones in Gaza.
“I do want her to win,” Fritz said, but, “I’m not going to campaign for her.”
