DAPHNE – While tourism continues to be an important aspect of the economy in Baldwin County, the needs of local residents must also be considered in the dining, amusement and entertainment industries, Cody Williamson, CEO of Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority said.
Williamson spoke to members of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s Eggs and Issues series on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
He said the Poarch Band of Creek Indians is expanding its amusement facility at OWA in Foley with an emphasis on year-round entertainment. The group plans to add an indoor water park at the site on the Baldwin Beach Express in the next year.
“Currently, we have about $275 million with another $75 million being put in the ground,” Williamson said. “So, after our water park is built, we will have approximately $350 million in the ground.”
The indoor water park will be open year-round, allowing residents and visitors to use the site when the weather prevents people from swimming in the Gulf or outdoor pools.
In addition to being a draw for tourists, Williamson said the goal at OWA is to become a popular attraction for local residents.
“Everybody in the tourism market says you’ve got to play to the tourists. That works for six months out of the year. The other six months, you’re going to need them,” he said of residents. “This will also go to locals. We’ll do season passes to locals that will be better than the tourists have.”
“That’s going to be where we are. We see, based on what we’ve done with our theme park, that we have to have stuff for the locals. That’s what’s going to get you through the year,” Williamson added.
He said tourism is a major part of the facility’s market. Baldwin County brings in 6.8 million visitors a year and the park opened on the Baldwin Beach Express in 2017 in an effort to attract some of those tourists.
Since 2017, OWA has continued to expand, he said. In 2019, the facility added attractions such as Legends in Concert and the Clash eSports Center. Development continued in 2020 and plans now call for the waterpark to open in 2022. The park now has about 275 employees. He said their goal is to have 750 full-time and seasonal employees.
“We’ve seen based on what we’ve done with our theme park, that we have to have stuff for the locals,” Williamson said. “That’s the thing that makes you throughout the year where you can keep your staff.”
As with many employers in the region, one difficulty in expanding is finding workers.
“The main issue I have right now is employment,” he said.
The park is currently open on weekends. He said some retail businesses and restaurants also open during the week. Some restaurants have begun closing on Mondays because of a lack of employees.
Retail and restaurant spaces have continued to be leased as well with about 70 % of the available locations filled. He said this is a busy time of year for companies wanting to open at OWA in time for the 2022 tourist season.
“This is where we start signing everybody, because they want to be in there by March,” Williamson said. “So, we start to sign a bunch of people and businesses in there so the buildout can be finished by March, which is when Spring Break happens. So, we tend to have March and April a big push. Then, late April and May kind of slow. Then we have the big Memorial Day through Labor Day and then we start to taper off again.”
