Grand Island outlines $16M plan to renovate Island Oasis pool, add mini golf and splash pad

City staff and consultants on June 17 presented design details and an estimated budget for a major renovation of Island Oasis, Grand Island’s municipal water park, and answered council questions about safety, schedule and how the project could be paid for.

The presentation described a plan to separate the water park’s single large pool into two bodies of water — a dedicated wave pool and a leisure pool with beach entry and play structures — repair the lazy river and renovate the bathhouse, plus add an 18‑hole mini golf course, a splash pad and a dry recreation/play area. The consultant said the work would also address equipment, pump and filtration systems dating to the original 1993 construction.

City parks consultant Kyle McCawley of Water’s Edge Aquatic Design Group told the council the intent is to create a longer, more flexible wave pool and a distinct leisure pool with shallow water play features, family slides and shade over shallow areas. “The wave pool will allow more different wave patterns to be generated,” McCawley said, adding the equipment and some structure date to the park’s original construction in 1993 and will be replaced.

Why it matters: Island Oasis is a high‑use city amenity. The design…