The New York-based Aquatic Development Group (ADG) has started work on a US$45m (€40.3m, £34.2m) waterpark coming to Currituck County, North Carolina, in 2017.

The newly-formed OBX Waterpark Adventure – a company owned by 25-plus-year waterpark veterans Arthur Berry III and Kenneth Ellis – will own and operate the park. It will reunite the development team used for the Aquatopia project at the duo’s US$163m (€146m, £124m) Pennsylvania ski resort, Camelback Mountain.

The attraction will be designed and built by ADG, a company for which Ellis is president and CEO. Weber Group will produce the themed environments for the attraction, which according to OBX will “draw upon the inspiration of familiar icons, including historic lighthouses, famous pirate ships, the Wright Brothers legacy, all set in an open coastal atmosphere.”

The plans – which will feature WhiteWater West’s patented FlowRider surf technology, as well as multiple waterslides, a wave pool, adventure lagoon and lazy river supplied by WhiteWater – were approved last month by Currituck commissioners.

More than two acres (8,000sq m) of the 80-acre (324,000sq m) nautical-themed attraction will be dedicated to a children’s adventure area with a double entry wave pool and interactive play areas and structures. Other amenities will include 50 private cabanas, as well as retail venues and dining options.

“Traditional water parks of this magnitude typically handle 8,000-plus daily guests, but OBX will set a maximum daily capacity of 4,000 to 5,000.” said Berry. “Capping the attendance ensures an unparalleled guest experience – unlike any other water park in the country.”

Construction on the waterpark is scheduled to begin in September, with the attraction opening to the public in Q3 2018.