We were commissioned to look at ways to improve the quality and consistency of entry-level employment opportunities in SE Idaho. We looked at an indoor waterpark as a method to drive the hospitality industry and I toured several developments around the US.

It was interesting to see that in rural areas, where real estate prices were most economical, revenues were on almost a sine wave. High in December/early January, low in February, high in March, then down in April, up in May (with High School graduation parties), down in the good weather summer months, then slowly increasing in the fall.

For a decent-sized development, it would have taken 15+ years to pay off the investment, and there were big risks (like massive increases in premiums for liability insurance). At the end of the day, the state decided to focus more on the semiconductor and specialized manufacturing sector to support INL.

Unless you have Saudi levels of capital to deploy, it's hard to justify building something like an indoor waterpark now, especially if you want to build close to Utah population centers.