Great Wolf Lodge Arizona took another significant step in the construction process as Mortenson hoisted into place the final steel beam of the resort structure. The beam placed during the ceremonial “topping out” event this morning is part of the resort’s 27,000 square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park, a family entertainment center with attractions such as a ropes course, climbing wall, miniature golf and Great Wolf Lodge’s signature interactive adventure game, MagiQuest. The “topping out” ceremony celebrates an important milestone in the construction timeline as it signifies the completion of vertical construction.
Before being hoisted into place, the beam was signed by stakeholders from Great Wolf Resorts, Mortenson, Gensler and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. A special signatory and participant at this morning’s event was Wiley the Wolf, the leader of Great Wolf Lodge’s pack of characters that will entertain children staying at the resort.
This milestone brings Great Wolf Lodge Arizona one step closer to its grand opening, which is scheduled for late summer/early fall 2019. The 350-room family resort is being constructed on an 18-acre site adjacent to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, located within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Talking Stick Entertainment District. When complete, Great Wolf Arizona will be the company’s 18th indoor water park resort in North America, and first in the Southwest.
“Today marks another important milestone as we inch closer to bringing the incredible family experience we envision for Great Wolf Lodge Arizona to life,” shared Greg Miller, Chief Development Officer for Great Wolf Resorts. “We look forward to opening this incredible new resort destination to Arizona families; our resort is care-free, convenient, and offers an array of attractions and entertainment options specifically designed for families to enjoy together.”
“This significant milestone is a rewarding time for our project team and all partners involved. It is great to take a moment to recognize the tremendous progress we have made and reflect on our zero-injury commitment,” said Joe LaRovere, project executive at Mortenson. “We are proud to partner with Great Wolf Resorts, Gensler, SRP-MIC and all of our trade partners in bringing this family experience to the state of Arizona.”
While the resort will still be under construction for several more months, here are some interesting facts about the construction and project team’s contributions to date:
• 100,000 yards of dirt have been moved, enough to fill 675 10-foot swimming pools
• 500 tons of steel have been used
• 20,000 container yards of concrete have been poured in precast panels, foundations and structure slabs
• 1,279 cans of food have been donated to the local community
• 200,000 hours have been worked to date
Great Wolf Lodge Arizona will be a year-round family destination filled with attractions and amenities for all ages. Some of the highlights include:
• An 85,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, heated to a comfortable 84 degrees and featuring a variety of body slides, tube slides, raft rides, activity pools and splash areas for every member of the family – from toddlers and teens, to parents and grandparents.
• A 27,000-square-foot family entertainment center known as the Great Wolf Adventure Park. Here, families can scale a multi-level ropes course, play a round of miniature golf or step into the fantasy world of MagiQuest – Great Wolf Lodge’s exclusive live-action adventure game where players use interactive magic wands to assist pixies and battle dragons and goblins.
• A first-of-its-kind animated show in the lobby called the Northwoods Friends show, which utilizes projection mapping technology on a moving, three-dimensional multiplane surface to immerse children into the world of the Great Wolf Kids characters.
• A collection of complimentary family events and activities including Yoga Tails, a program that combines tales of the Northwoods creatures with yoga poses, and Great Wolf Lodge’s signature Story Time event, where children gather around the fireplace for a bedtime tale.
• Several dining options, including a collection of eateries inside the Great Wolf Adventure Park, a Dunkin’ Donuts and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor. The resort will also feature Barnwood, a full-service farm-to-fork restaurant featuring dishes made from locally sourced ingredients.
• Family friendly suites in a variety of categories and styles including KidCabin suites with separate sleeping quarters for kids complete with bunk beds and Great Wolf Kids character theming, as well as multiple bedroom suites for large families or multi-generational groups.
Great Wolf Lodge offers an exceptional value for families with admission to the water park and much of the family entertainment activities in the Grand Lobby included as part of the guest’s stay.
Meeting and event planners can also look to Great Wolf Lodge Arizona for their meeting and event needs. The property will boast nearly 6,500 square feet of flexible conference space with breakout rooms, built-in A/V technology, customizable catering options and a team of dedicated industry professionals to tend to every meeting need.
For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor water park resorts, visit www.greatwolf.com.
