The Town of Chesapeake Beach has released new concept renderings and confirmed its water park rebuild has moved into active construction, as the town continues working toward a 2027 grand reopening of the long-closed Chesapeake Beach Water Park.
According to the town’s official project page, the roughly $19 million project is now in the “Construction – In Progress” phase, following earlier planning and design stages. The budget is being funded through $12 million in town reserves, $1.1 million in state funding, and $5.9 million in town borrowing. The newly released renderings, dated Sept. 7, show an aerial layout of the redesigned park along with updated slides, aquatic features and a water play area; the town notes the designs are conceptual and that final features, materials and colors may still be adjusted during construction.
Town officials say the project is intended to preserve the character of the original park — which opened in 1995 and became Maryland’s only municipally owned facility of its kind — while replacing aging infrastructure that had outlived its useful life. The Chronicle previously reported that the park closed at the end of the 2023 season due to structural problems tied to its location on a tidal wetland, including sinking areas not supported by pilings. That closure led the town to bring in Hillis-Carnes Engineering Consultants and Emerald Fx to study the site and develop a rebuild plan anchored on the park’s existing pilings.
The town says the design reflects community input gathered through a 2023 opinion survey that drew nearly 1,900 responses, in which residents expressed a strong desire to keep the park as an accessible, safe community amenity while opposing town subsidies for non-resident admission. Scheibel Construction has since joined the project as general contractor, working alongside Paddock Pools — the water park’s original builder — which continues to manage the rebuild.
The reopening target has slipped twice since the park’s closure, moving from an initial 2025 goal to 2026, and then to the current 2027 target announced in an August 2025 town press release. Council Member Jonathan Evans, who chairs the town’s Water Park Committee, and Mayor Bruce Wahl have both said in past statements that the delays reflect a decision to prioritize a durable, long-term rebuild over a faster reopening.
Some practical details are still being finalized. According to the town’s own FAQ page, season pass rates and general admission pricing for the 2027 operating season are still under review by the town treasurer and will be included in the FY27 budget presented at an upcoming town work session; the town says it will update the public once pricing is approved by the mayor and council. The town also says the first round of water park job openings — for positions requiring the most extensive training — will open for applications starting in October 2026, with additional hiring announcements to follow on the town’s website.
The Water Park Committee continues to meet roughly monthly, with project updates also provided at the town’s regular monthly council meetings.
