More details about the proposed PHX Surf Park are emerging even as developers and the City remain tight-lipped about the project.

A Planned Area Development application submitted by the developer to the City paints a picture of an ambitious project with numerous amenities.

The surf park was announced in May 2021. The City sold three parcels totaling 79 acres to three Mesa corporations for the development south of State Route 238 and west of North Loma Road in its effort to bring a water park attraction to town.

The application said the surf park will offer on-site lodging, 31,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants and outdoor entertainment.

The centerpieces of the 71-acre facility will be two surf lagoons of about five acres each. Other attractions would include water slides, a “lazy river” and a pump track, as well as a spa and outdoor concert stage. Nighttime activities are also planned, including live music and surfing under the lights.

Plans call for an upscale hotel with 80 rooms to sit between the lagoons, plus surf villas and a 30-site campground that will allow patrons to bring their own RV to the site. The developers cite this unique aspect as one way for “the project to capitalize on various types of patron demand from throughout the world. PHX surf expects patrons from much more than just the state of Arizona or other nearby states, but internationally, who will come to stay and play with direct access to the surf, beach, aquatic experiences and more.”

When asked to comment on aspects of the project, City officials deferred to PHX Surf developers, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

PHX Surf
The proposed PHX Surf park at State Route 238 and Loma Road will cover 71 acres and include two 5-acre surf lagoons as well as a hotel, restaurants, entertainment, shopping and surf instruction, among other amenities. [AO Architects]
Plans call for the construction of a “tiny home” park, with 42 surf villas – 22 one-bedroom, 600-square-foot units and 20 two-bedroom units of 900 square feet – adjacent to the lagoon, with their own clubhouse and beach area. These would be sited just at the corner of SR 238 and North Loma Road, according to an updated sketch of the proposed park.

The retail area will be elevated above the surf beach and fronted with a boardwalk to provide better viewing for park and restaurant patrons. Other elements will include picnic areas, play areas and walking trails.

The RV park and lazy river will be located on the south part of the property, with an entertainment bandshell and grassy area between those amenities and the surf pools.

PHX Surf park site
This site west of North Loma Road will be home to the proposed PHX Surf park. [Brian Petersheim Jr.]
The primary entrance to the site will be off SR 238 and lead to more than 11 acres of parking along North Green Road. There will be two entrances off North Green Road, which are directly connected to a main artery leading to the enhanced plaza areas. One of the Green Road entries will be dedicated to the RV campsite area, along the southern border of the property. There will be three entry points from Loma Road, which will provide access to the surf villa and employee parking areas.

The entries off Green Road tie into the city’s plans to upgrade and expand that road as part of a city “Loop Road.” That road is planned to divert traffic around the city’s center and eventually provide an alternative route around town that would take truck and other traffic off John Wayne Parkway.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Maybe next they can build another golf course right next to this, so they can really maximize the quantity of water they’re wasting in the middle of the desert. It would be interesting to know where exactly they plan to get all the water for this park, seeing as there are already concerns about there not being enough water long term for Maricopa’s rampant uncontrolled residential growth – but this is the sort of lack of investigative journalism we’ve come to expect from this publication.

  2. As well as the fact that we are looking at a severe water shortage crisis in the very near future, how do they suppose people will get to the park? Do they plan on building a 15 mile water slide from the 10 or the 202? It looks like, once again, ideas of grandeur overshadow the fact that Maricopa HAS NOT solved the traffic problem with for their own residents.

  3. This is just about the dumbest idea imaginable. Your magazine every month highlights the fact we are running out of water and just now Arizona is cut back 21% of water use from the Colorado River for 2023. Where is the water going to come from for this place especially if Maricopa is supposed to double in population in five years? This is just another useless project this city does NOT need.

  4. Another brain fart where the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Where do these big planners come from, Klaus Schwab’s WEF or maybe Blackrock? Arizona was just put on notice the spigot from the Colorado River just got safety wired in the closed position.