AURORA, Ohio — After years as an eyesore, work is about to get underway at the old SeaWorld and Wildwater Kingdom property.
On Monday, Aurora finalized a deal to purchase Geauga Lake along with 48 acres from the former SeaWorld Park.
News 5 first reported on the deal when it was brought to council back in June 2023.
The plan is to develop the property into a beach, trails and even restore the old wavepool into a functioning pool.
The final agreement included an additional seven acres of lakefront property.
In total, the city will spend $5.3 million on the development.
"I don't want that to be developed commercially or even as a residential development, I want people to be able to have access to the lake and to enjoy that whole beautiful area," Aurora Mayor Anne Womer Benjamin said. "There’s going to be another park there – not the same – but still another park where they can relieve some memories and enjoy the new amenities we will have there."
What else is being developed at Geauga Lake
But even before that work begins, Geauga Lake is quickly changing.
Construction on market-rate apartments continues along Aurora Road on the Geauga County side of the lake. The first of the 311 units from Vision Development, Inc. is slated to begin welcoming residents early next year.
The first apartments available are slated to be 1,948 sq ft three-bedroom/three-bathroom townhomes renting for about $3,430, and two-bedroom/two-bathroom units with about 1,111 sq ft are slated to rent for $1,910.
RELATED: Here's a comprehensive look at everything in the works at the old Geauga Lake property
The development is expected to offer other configurations, such as small studio apartments with 328 sq ft, as low as $1,025 a month.
In addition to apartments, Bainbridge Township leaders confirmed to News 5 that both Menards and Meijer continue to pursue plans to build stores at the site, but it's unclear when that could happen.
As News 5 has previously reported, Industrial Commercial Properties bought a significant portion of the Geauga Lakes property in 2020. Subsequently, they announced plans for the 377-acre site to be known as Geauga Lake District. The site, which saddles Bainbridge Township and Aurora, has become a Joint Economic Development District, with the City of Aurora providing water and sewer services. The economic development district opens the door for many different housing and business opportunities.
