An Update on the Dallas Watersports Complex, Which, Turns Out, May Be Heading to Denton

​You remember Chad Lacerte, right? He's the man behind the Dallas Watersports Complex, which had the full support of the Dallas City Council was supposed to open on Fish Trap Lake till the Dallas Housing Authority sunk it, claiming it wasn't in the best interests of the residents of West Dallas. Which is why the DHA has begun the process of master-planning the area -- though it remains unclear if it intended to include the complex in its future look-see.

In response to questions about the fate of the wakeboarding set-up, Lacerte sends a lengthy missive this morning containing a few updates, including a bullet point in which he addresses whispers that he's picked up and moved to Denton:

It has been reported that this project is going to Denton. While we have agreed on a 50 year lease on Unicorn Lake in Denton and are exploring opportunities in several cities[,] we still intend to pursue the West Dallas location. The interest in this concept from other cities has been very positive, oftentimes overwhelming.

The full letter follows.

I have had many inquiries as to the DHA's status on this project. To summarize:

DHA has moved quickly to hire a master planner to develop a master plan for their vacant properties in West Dallas. The planning firm is BRW, an experienced firm that has worked on high profile projects such as the Trinity Audubon Center and Texas Horse Park.

BRW and DHA are holding 4 sets of meetings. The first was last week, and the community support for new jobs, recreational venues and a catalyst project for West Dallas were very strong.

The next meetings will be December 13th and 15th, January 11th and 12th and a final meeting in February. We have made great strides engaging the West Dallas community and helping them understand the project and we continue to gather their input. We expect the community support will continue to grow as West Dallas' residents understand the benefits this project will provide to the community.

We will have a major announcement in the next 10 days regarding a summer internship program involving the local schools.

It has been reported that this project is going to Denton. While we have agreed on a 50 year lease on Unicorn Lake in Denton and are exploring opportunities in several cities. We still intend to pursue the West Dallas location. The interest in this concept from other cities has been very positive, oftentimes overwhelming.

We appreciate the continued support of the City of Dallas and DHA's staff and Board of Directors, and look forward to moving ahead with this public-private partnership.