WAUKESHA, WI— The Country Inn Hotel & Conference Center here is looking to make a big splash for its 20th anniversary next year with the addition of a new waterpark aimed at turning the hotel into a year-round destination. Already drawing a good number of business guests as a result of its spacious meeting facilities and generating significant wedding business as well— around 225 ceremonies a year— the hotel was looking for additional, less seasonal business, according to owner Dick Richards. Its initial effort resulted in an executive learning center which hosts 39 T-1 lines, and while it helped, Richards felt he needed to do more. “In October 2000, business was going to heck [the result of nearby competition]. We looked to find a specific niche, but it still wasn’t doing anything for our transient business,” he said, adding that the final drawings for the 25,000 square foot waterpark have gotten approval from the municipality and he is hoping to break ground on the project in May. For the theme of the park, which is to be called The Springs, Richards said he is planning to draw on the area’s past when it was a local attraction with mud baths and lots of natural springs, as well as limestone and granite from glaciers. “There’s a unique history, people came from all over,” he said. The town of Waukesha is only home to 360,000 people, but Richards said he is expecting to draw from a much larger area, including Chicago, which is just a couple of hours away. In addition, the Country Inn is located between Chicago and Wisconsin Dells, which has become something of a waterpark destination, and Richards said guests will be “short stopping” at Waukesha. The 187-room hotel, which sits on a 41-acre site, is undergoing a complete renovation and Richards said although the waterpark will be connected to the hotel, he is “endeavoring to kind of separate it,” as he does not want to negatively impact the meetings business. As such Richards is also looking into a tiered pricing strategy, because as he said: “Why make someone pay who is not going to use it?” However, he did acknowledge that for those using the waterpark, the rates, which currently average $99, would have to be raised, possibly as much as $35 to $40. “A waterpark can not sustain itself, unfortunately,” he said. Richards plans to run The Springs as a separate entity, complete with its own operations manager, as well as maintenance personnel. In fact, he estimates that he will need to double his current staff of approximately 220 employees. Some of the waterparks in Wisconsin Dells have had difficulty finding personnel, Richards said. However, he is confident that with the smaller Waukesha and no local waterpark competition, it will not be an issue. “I’m hopeful that won’t be a problem, people are applying for work already,” he said. Richards, however, has made sure to underscore the point that the company’s current employees must continue the same level of service and dedication. “We can’t lose focus on our existing customers,” he said. Richards, who originally bought the property in 1984, said he has been surprised at how few zoning problems he has had and he is hoping to open in December.