WavePoolMag visited Cannon Beach Arizona in early December and spoke with COO Adam Saks (podcast coming soon). At the time Adam hinted at something big happening – a second project, yes, before the Mesa location was even open to the public. Of course he couldn’t share details at the time. But now, word is out.

Cannon Beach in Mesa Arizona is finding its legs after the lengthy opening process and assorted delays due to city infrastructure, permitting and all those little components that make a wave pool happen. We learned that in a town full of gargantuan strip malls, Cannon Beach has set itself apart with two state-of-the-art wave pools by Swell MFG and UNIT respectively. And now, they will take this yet-tested business model to McKinney Texas.

McKinney Wave Technology and Layout

Artist renderings show Swell MFG technology, like in Mesa, as well as a standing deepwater rapid wave pool. So with the limited information, we can safely assume that Cannon McKinney will be very, very similar in many aspects to the Mesa Arizona counterpart. When touring Cannon Beach Mesa, COO Adam Saks pointed out where the hotel would be placed and a few other as-yet-built amenities. In our discussion, he noted that the act of placing a surf park at the center of the development greatly increased desirability among prospective retail guests who are willing to pay a premium to have their business adjacent a wave pool.

The Nuts and Bolts

McKinney is is 20 minutes north of Fireside Surf, a rapid wave pool development built heavily on the F&B model. It is also 30 minutes away from the proposed Sapphire Bay project which announced a Surf Loch wave pool as its centerpiece in the pre-COVID era (no recent updates on that project.)

A local news outlet reported that the City of McKinney will work with Cole Cannon on the $200 million mixed-use development aimed at bringing a coastal experience to North Texas. Named Cannon Beach, the project will encompass 35 acres at the northeast corner of Stacy Road and State Highway 121.

Cannon Beach will include a 4-acre surf lagoon, a resort-style hotel, dining and entertainment venues, and 100,000 square feet of office space. The initiative is a joint effort involving the City of McKinney, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the McKinney Community Development Corporation, and developer Cole Cannon.

Construction is slated to commence in 2025, with the first phase expected to open in 2026. Initial work will focus on the water features, followed by the development of surrounding amenities. Finalized conceptual plans, including site layouts and incentive agreements, are set for review in early 2025. Potential incentives may include infrastructure support and property tax reductions, with MEDC planning to sell the land to Cannon as part of its commitment to optimize city-owned properties.

Once operational, Cannon Beach is projected to create over 700 jobs and attract approximately 300,000 visitors annually. The development is anticipated to generate more than $2 billion in economic impact over the next two decades, according to city estimates.

The centerpiece of Cannon Beach will be a resort-style hotel featuring lounge areas connected to the surf lagoon and a rooftop pool. The hotel will also offer beachfront event and wedding spaces, complemented by attractions such as cliff diving, a skateboard park, a movie theater, a bowling alley, a health club, and indoor recreation facilities.