LITTLE ROCK — North Little Rock’s Wild River Country has been sold to a new company and is under new management.
Aquapark Holdings LLC bought Wild River Country in December for an undisclosed amount, Tina Hatcher, a spokesman for Aquapark Holdings, said Friday.
The 26-acre water park, which opened in 1985, was owned by Halcyon Attractions of Arkansas LCC, she said. Halcyon Attractions Corp. bought Wild River Country in 1999 for about $2 million.
Hatcher said Aquapark Holdings is a private investment company and doesn’t own any other water parks.
The company is registered with the Arkansas secretary of state’s office, but the address listed for the principal owner is in Riviera Beach, Fla.
Hatcher said one of Aquapark Holdings’ owners helped finance Wild River Country in the past, which led to the purchase of the water park.
“They had provided them with financing, which the park had used for purchases in the past,” Hatcher said. She did not know what the money was used for.
Wild River Country has had a financially troubled past.
Community Bank of Cabot, now Centennial Bank, filed a foreclosure complaint against the owners of the water park in 2008, seeking payment of almost $2.5 million remaining on a loan.
The bank declined to comment Friday.
Hatcher said Wild River Country’s financial problems did not transfer to the new ownership.
“The new ownership did not take over the past bills,” she said.
The water park also fell behind on business and property-tax payments.
Melissa Blue, tax manager with the Pulaski County treasurer’s office, said the water park was late paying its 2007 property tax and real-estate tax, due in 2008.
She said those taxes were paid in 2009 and that the water park has paid taxes on time since then.
Hatcher said the new owners and management of Wild River Country plan to renovate the water park. She did not say if they had anything in particular planned, but she said there is going to be a lot of “sprucing up.”
“It’s just going to be a complete turnaround,” she said.
The news release from the company said its goal is to “improve and expand the children’s area over the next three years as well as make enhancements to better our guests’ experience.”
Chris Shillcutt, a North Little Rock native, has been named the park’s vice president of operations and will oversee the park.
Shillcutt has worked for the Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and for the Six Flags White Water park near Atlanta.
Business, Pages 29 on 01/19/2013