Surf park developer zeroes in on St. Pete, Zephyrhills as possible sites
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 19, 2022

Two locations in the greater Tampa Bay area are being considered as the potential home to Peak Surf Park, a 30-acre project led by Tony Miller, former CEO and partner of Spark.

Miller released new renderings of the proposed surf park and findings from third-party feasibility and economic impact studies. The studies, done by Hotel & Leisure Advisors, analyze two locations for the development — a vacant property near U.S. 301 and State Road 56 in Zephyrhills and the Derby Lane site on Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg.

While Miller said he’s not under contract, he’s in “promising conversations” with the two property owners.

Miller bought the license last year to bring the Australian-based Surf Lakes’ technology to the area. The Australian Surf Lakes facility — which is a research and development site — is getting a wave of positive reviews from professional surfers, and Miller hopes to recreate that success here.

Miller said the area around the Pasco site is seeing explosive growth with several residential communities under construction nearby. He said anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 homes will be built in proximity to the location. The Pinellas location Miller said is ideal because of its proximity to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa.

The new renderings show the development will include a wave pool, half a mile of beachfront surrounding a lagoon, concert and event venues, food and beverage services, retailers, education and business facilities and several wellness and fitness amenities.

According to the feasibility studies, 10-year projections indicate the park would create more than $1.3 billion in annual business output and will be responsible for more than 700 jobs per year.

A release said the park intends “to offer programming and development opportunities for underserved populations.” It also intends to be built “around a model of sustainability.”

“Beyond tapping into the widespread surf culture and introducing a destination to the Tampa Bay area that will draw interest from all over the world, we’re creating a shared experience that every single member of this community will benefit from in some way,” Miller said in a release. “Surfing is truly just the start of what we’re hoping to build here.”

He said the unique project will tap into a massive demand since Florida is a “surf desert.”

The economic impact study shows the park could open by Jan. 1, 2025.