The water park plans to begin the $50 million expansion by September if city leaders approve its amended plan, which incorporates changes required by the state Coastal Commission. SeaWorld officials say the expansion is necessary to compete with other Southern California theme parks.
SeaWorld wants to redo the theme park's entrance, build a 95-foot-tall splashdown ride a three-story educational facility and a special-events center. Long-term plans call for a hotel and marina and a parking structure.
Critics of the redevelopment plan are concerned that SeaWorld will build view-blocking structures and continue nightly summer fireworks shows and other activities that they say are incompatible with surrounding neighborhoods.
Critics want the council to scrap the roller coaster-like splash-down ride, arguing they are too high and blight the Mission Bay landscape.
The council first agreed to the theme park expansion a year ago, but the Coastal Commission in February added requirements that put the project back before the council. The commission wants SeaWorld to move the splash-down ride from the shoreline to an inner portion of the park. The park also must pay the city $10.6 million for traffic improvements.
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