Nacogdoches will be one step closer to having a water park next year, as the city council is expected to make a contribution to help finalize funding efforts.

The Daily Sentinel reports the city of Nacogdoches will be giving Johnny Blevins of Splash Kingdom $180,000 in public money when it meets Aug. 5.

A five-year project will be closer to a reality for Blevins who owns Splash Kingdom parks in Canton and Shreveport.

The Nacogdoches water park will cost around $6 million to build, and is proposed on a seven-acre site on North University Drive, owned by the city. It's expected to feature all the typical water park attractions, including slides and a lazy river, and would be open from May to September.

An economic impact report says the park is expected to draw 40,000 people annually from outside Nacogdoches.

The city has been without a city-owned water feature since 2010, when Maroney Pool was demolished and filled in after city council members decided to stop funding the aging facility.