Could Manly waterslide park be turned into Bali-style pool and beach club?
Manly’s waterslide park gained fame when Nicole Kidman rode down a slide to escape chasers in the movie BMX Bandits. Now its for sale, with a “beach club” one option being touted for the site.
Manly
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Manly’s iconic waterslide park could be redeveloped into a Bali-style pool and beach club, suggests the current owner who is looking to sell the business.
The agent for Mark O’Sullivan, owner of Manly Surf n Slide, formerly known as Manly Waterworks, has been trying to sell the unique leasehold for a few months.
There has been interest from about 30 parties so far, but as of yet no takers.
Steve Finn from The Finn Group, which is advertising the business, as well as on Facebook Marketplace, told the Manly Daily if no-one wanted to buy it as a waterpark, there was also potential for redevelopment.
He said the owner had concept designs to show what it could look like as a beach club were this week exclusively released to the Manly Daily.
Any change of use or development would need permission from authorities.
“It’s such a unique site,” Mr Finn said.
“An investment group may want to come in and redevelop.”
He said the concept design shows a two-storey building with a rooftop pool bar with loungers and a first floor cafe with views of Manly Cove.
The slides have been removed.
Mr Finn said whether it remained as a waterpark or was bought for redevelopment, he was expecting an investment group to buy it next.
He said the O’Sullivans, a local family living in Clontarf, had improved the facilities and renovated the cafe, but it needed some serious money ploughed into it.
“We need someone to really make the waterpark great again,” he said.
“Or it gets turned into another type of venue, such as hospitality.”
The waterslides in Manly have been loved by generations of kids on the northern beaches since it opened in 1981.
It gained fame when actor Nicole Kidman rode down a slide to escape chasers in the movie BMX Bandits.
Now the leasehold for the park and cafe is being advertised on The Finn Group website and on Facebook Marketplace for $950,000.
The park situated at the southern end of Manly Cove, just a few hundred metres from Manly Wharf, is billed as a “once in a life time business opportunity”.
The Facebook post by current leasehold owner Mark O’Sullivan states it “can be a cash-producing machine” if redeveloped.
The post said the park is “great to run as an owner operated business or take advantage of the designs to redevelop into something spectacular”. He wrote there are “very few locations as good as this”.
“The cafe component was fitted out just over 18 months ago (just pre-covid) and waterpark had all new filtration, pumps, heaters and water balancing equipment at the same time. All this stays with the business, debt free,” Mr O’Sullivan wrote in the post.
The leasehold sale is also being advertised via The Finn Group.
On that site it says both businesses – the Manly Surf n Slide waterpark and the adjacent Sliderz Café – are now for sale (long-term leaseholds).
“Both businesses are open and trading and will be sold together as one, and present as an opportunity for the right investor to invest into upgrading this iconic attraction, and reaping the long-term cashflow benefits this asset can provide,” the advert says.
“The current owners are open to discussing a suitable transition plan, that may involve them assisting with any redevelopment of the facilities.”
The advert said there were several ways the site could be enhanced for maximum cashflow.
“The existing waterslide park and café could be upgraded to maximise revenue, or this blue chip location at Manly Cove could be redeveloped (subject to government and regulatory approvals) into an entirely new venue and experience for locals and tourists alike
Waterslide Park Redevelopment (i.e. new slides, new café),” the advert says.
In a You Tube video which has Chinese subtitles, Mr Finn from The Finn Group, talks about the business saying the leasehold is a “unique opportunity”
“So the water parks have been operating for many, many years and it’s currently in need of a full refurbishment and redevelopment to be able to take it to the next level,” he said.
“The plans are already drawn up, all the new slides and new equipment that are needed have already been selected, so everything’s really ready to go.
“It’s perfect for somebody who wants to have such as great location, put an investment in, take it to the next level and the capitalise on the financial opportunity of this great location, located only a stone’s throw from the iconic Manly Wharf.”
Mr O’Sullivan has previously told the Manly Daily about his frustrations over what he claims has been a lack of support from Northern Beaches Council in trying to redevelop the site since he bought it in 2016.
He had ambitious plans, including installing a surfing wave pool, which have not materialised.
Some of the difficulty lies with the ownership of the land, which is split between the council and private owners the Miramare Group, which also own the restaurant Manly Pavilion next door.
Mr O’Sullivan told the Manly Daily back in April that the park was really popular and that they had extended its opening because of demand.
At the time he said he had scaled back his original plans for the park, but would still like to upgrade the site from three slides to five, create some entertainment decks and get a liquor license for the cafe so parents can have a beer while the kids are on the slides.
He said it had enormous potential.
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