Austin Business Journal shares, "a wellness company is planning an Austin-area spa destination as it wraps up work on its flagship project near Dallas.
WorldSprings wants to develop an 8-acre project in Cedar Park that could have more than 40 pools, including hot springs, a Dead Sea floating pool and cold plunges. It would be in the New Hope project along U.S. Highway 183A, a stretch of highway that includes rocket maker Firefly Aerospace Inc. and the future Nebraska Furniture Mart development.
Project representatives presented initial plans for the project during a Feb. 20 meeting of the Cedar Park Planning and Zoning Commission as part of a request for a special use permit for the site.
Representatives said during the meeting that the WorldSprings concept began as a way to bring the natural hot springs of Colorado elsewhere. The company offers mineral hot springs and wellness services, as well as hot springs pools, cold plunges and saunas to promote relaxation and well-being. The company also offers food and alcoholic beverage offerings, programming, classes and trainings.
Representatives from the company declined to comment on the Cedar Park location, saying they're currently focused on opening their first location in The Colony near Dallas, which is slated for this spring. An estimated job total for the Cedar Park site was not available.
"The area along 183A between (Ranch to Market Road) 1431 and New Hope (Drive) has gathered a lot of momentum and now serves really as a regional destination for folks looking for services (and) entertainment uses. That's only going to continue to grow," said Kimley-Horn planner Ethan Harwell, who represented the WorldSprings project during the meeting.
The New Hope development that WorldSprings would be part of is a joint venture of three Austin-based real estate firms — Cordova Real Estate Ventures, Riverside Resources and Live Oak. The $250 million project is expected to total at least 430,000 square feet of industrial space, along with roughly 29,000 square feet of retail space.
Chris Whitworth, founding partner of Cordova, said during the meeting that the WorldSprings project would be in the portion of the site that is dedicated to entertainment, restaurants, hotels and more.
Commissioners expressed concern about the water usage of the project amid Cedar Park's drought restrictions. Developers said their water use is compared to that of a fast-food restaurant. Commissioners ultimately recommended approval of the permit, and it will head to City Council for final approval.
If the project comes to fruition, it would add another destination project to Cedar Park, which had a population of 77,642 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Other examples include North Dakota-based sporting goods store Scheels bringing an indoor entertainment destination to the 118-acre Nebraska Furniture Mart project. Other large-scale lifestyle projects in Cedar Park include the new headquarters of baseball and softball scouting company Perfect Game Inc. and the redevelopment of Bell Boulevard, a 95-acre mixed-use site that could eventually have nearly 450,000 square feet of industrial and commercial space."
Source: Austin Business Journal
Written by: Justin Sayers
Published: February 26, 2024
Posted by Grossman & Jones Group on
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