Sea World latest potential suitor for Waimea park

By Yasmin Anwar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Sea World Hawai'i?

Representatives of the Anheuser Busch-owned Sea World theme park chain toured the rugged 1,875-acre Waimea Valley preserve this week with New York developer Christian Wolffer, who put the North Shore property up for sale last August with an asking price of $25 million.

Sea World theme parks, which all feature Shamu the killer whale, are in San Diego, Calif.; in San Antonio, Texas; on Australia's Gold Coast; and in Orlando, Fla., where the attraction includes a roller-coaster water flume.

Kai McDurmin, the local Coldwell Banker real estate agent representing Wolffer, said Sea World has expressed interest as a potential buyer for the Waimea property, but has not made an offer.

"It's a possibility, but we're not in negotiations," she said.

Sea World officials could not be reached for comment.

The city has initiated plans to purchase Waimea using condemnation if needed, and Mayor Jeremy Harris has set aside $5.2 million for the purchase. Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee John Waihe'e IV this week declared his intent for OHA to pursue the acquisition, possibly for around $6 million.

McDurmin said she is optimistic that the scenic-yet-sluggish tourist attraction will be sold, but expects Wolffer would want more than $5 million or $6 million.

Yesterday, Waihe'e toured the site with the Stewards of Waimea, a community group rooting for OHA to clinch the deal and protect the area's botanical and archaeological sites.

Wolffer purchased the park in 1996 and tried to revive the park's visitor count, which had plummeted since its heyday in the late 1980s when it saw 750,000 visitors a year. Today annual attendance is closer to 250,000. The park employs about 150 North Shore residents.