What’s the future of Splash Universe in Dundee?

DUNDEE, Mich. (WTVG) - Friday was a great day to cool down in a water park, but one of the area’s biggest attractions wasn’t open and there’s concern from people who have passes that it may not open again.

The owners of Splash Universe in Dundee say that’s not the case and things should be happening soon.

It’s an eerie sight to see an empty water park in mid-July. This was normal last year, but the hope was that by 2021, it would be different.

“We love it, we used to go all the time as a family,” said Ashley Oloshove.

Oloshove purchased more day passes after her trip in February 2020. After COVID shutdowns, she was told the passes would extend past that year. Now she can’t get answers about if they’ll extend further.

“I emailed back a few months ago, I think two months ago and there was no response. They haven’t even opened up the message,” said Oloshove.

The most recent Facebook posting says the place will be open in summer 2021, which hasn’t happened. Lots of people have commented asking for more information about when or if the place will reopen and if they’ll get refunds in case it doesn’t.

“It definitely bums me out, bums my kids out. I can’t afford to do one of the more big ones so that’s where we were always going to. That was my go-to,” said Oloshove.

There could be some hope -- the I-Team spoke with Rob Evans of Focus Hotels, which owns Splash Universe, on Friday. He says the plan is to reopen in November of this year and be at full strength by Thanksgiving.

Evans says the whole complex is to reopen, but they don’t know yet the branding of the hotel. He says the park will be ready; in fact, he says one of the little pools was filled on Wednesday.

As for anyone with passes, Evans says everyone will be made whole. He says the ever-changing rules of COVID and vaccination rates and now variants have all played a role in the delayed opening.

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