North Augusta city officials have confirmed tentative plans to develop a US$20m (€18m, £13.2m) waterpark in the South Carolina city.

Covering 162,000sq m (40 acres), the pirate-themed Scuttle’s Island waterpark, which is expected to draw between 250,000 and 300,000 people annually, will feature twenty two waterslides, a 34,000sq ft (3,158sq m) wave pool and a lazy river complete with rapids. In addition to the waterpark, the mixed-use development will feature 4,000sq m (43,000sq ft) of retail space in addition to four restaurants.

Tax incentives for the development are yet to be determined but could reportedly include a low or no-interest loan, with the next step in the development to take the multi-million dollar proposal before the North Augusta City Council. The development was initially rejected in a different location by Columbia County Commissioners in April 2015 because the contractor, Benjamin Bell, failed to provide the correct documentation to pass the proper codes. With the correct paperwork in place, it is expected that the relocated development in North Augusta should pass with no problems.

“This is a project that’s going to serve the entire region and I knew that people here wanted it,” said Todd Glover, North Augusta City Administrator. “The Scuttle’s Island team have been working on this for a long time. They’re ready to get going and so are we.”