NORMAN — Alligators like water, right? So it should come as no surprise that locally owned and operated Andy Alligator’s Fun Park is expanding to include a water park.

Andy and the Allison family broke ground Wednesday with a little help from their friends. Russell and Robbie Allison were joined by Todd Stallbaumer of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Chris Strait of Aztec Building Systems, Stephen Koranda of the Norman Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jeff Commins of First Bank & Trust and Andy Alligator.

General Manager Kyle Allison welcomed guests to the groundbreaking celebration.

“It was a little over a year ago that we took our first top secret trip out to visit a water park,” Kyle Allison said. “After that trip, we worked over the next year to develop a new concept in water park entertainment that would fit perfectly in our expansion plans here on this property.”

Andy Alligator’s Fun Park and its water park expansion are truly Norman ventures by a local family. Russell and Robbie Allison, of Norman, own the business and help their sons run it. Kyle Allison serves as general manager, while Robert Allison serves as food and beverage manager.

The Allison family is working with Strait of Aztec, a Norman-based contractor and builder. Funding for the water park expansion will come from First Bank & Trust Co., also of Norman.

“Anything built today in this economy is pretty amazing,” Strait said.

Making a $4.2 million investment is even more astounding, he said, calling the waterpark a “fast-track” project scheduled to open May 2012.

“Andy Alligator’s has been a success because of our focus on family entertainment that is cutting-edge, clean, affordable and customer-service driven,” Kyle Allison said. “Oklahoma has not seen a substantial commercial water park built since the 1980s. Call us crazy, but soon the dream of a water park will be a reality.”

Crazy? Maybe. But all of Norman seems ready to jump in and get wet with Andy Alligator. The site at Indian Hills Road and Interstate 35 on Norman’s northern edge will be Oklahoma’s largest aquatic play structure and will house the state’s first aquatic mat racer attraction.

The aquatic engineering and master planning will be done by Brannon Corp. of Tyler, Texas, and the aquatic building designs are by Fitzpatrick Architects, also of Tyler.

The water park will serve families and children of all ages, starting with a toddler splash zone designed specially for them. Graduated play levels serve all ages and include a lazy river attraction, double tube slide, an aquatic play structure, private cabanas and facilities to serve birthday parties and corporate or other group events.

Joy Hampton 366-3539 jhampton@normantranscript.com Like me on Facebook