One-year-old Bridges Bay continues to grow

"This is only the second Bracco in the world," explains Bracco's Taunya Jones who directs the front of the house operations for the first Bracco in Sioux Falls and Spezia restaurants in Sioux Falls and Omaha.

The two concepts are operated by Rick Thompson and his uncle, Dave Thompson, along with Kyle Adams. The trio has been involved with Spezia since the inception of the concept 10 years ago and is in the process of moving that Sioux Falls restaurant to 57th Street and Louise Avenue. Between them, the three have more than 80 years in the restaurant business.

Bracco opened two years ago, in April.

Being built on the shore of East Lake Okoboji, as a part of the Bridges Bay Resort complex, the new Bracco is expected to open in mid-May and remain open through mid-September each year, with seating for about 300 patrons - half of them under a covered veranda, and the rest in open air seating with umbrellas and a fire pit, says Jones.

The grill and bar will be full service, with liquor, beer and wine in addition to a full menu and a Sunday Buffet.

"The Bracco concept is to offer an escape from the outside world with our beautiful lakefront location, vacation tropical cocktails and inspired menu selections," Jones adds.

Bracco also will be offering full food and beverage service to the new lagoon-style pool and swim-up bar area as well as room service to Bridges Bay.

Bridges Bay open a year

Located on one of the last large strips of available beachfront on the shore of East Lake Okoboji, Bridges Bay resort opened a year ago and is more than just an indoor waterpark, explains builder Jon Broek of Sioux Falls-based Equity Homes.

The waterpark is part of the Bridges Bay Resort complex that is managed by Sioux Falls-based Regency Hotel Management. Regency also manages the expanding Arrowwood Resort in Okoboji. A related company, W. R. Restaurants, operates the Minervas restaurants in Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Okoboji.

With nearly 70 units already sold, Bridges Bay is a $100 million project that Broek says "gives individuals an opportunity to purchase premium real estate.

"We're not affected by the sub-prime situation that the national media is just pounding," he adds. "While we expected the winter months to slow down sales-wise, we sold three units over Winter Games weekend.

"The multiple listing shows Bridges Bay accounts for about 75 percent of all the East Lake condos sold last year. Nothing in history has ever sold this well in this area. We're really, really happy the way things are going."

The 48-unit resort condominium (hotel) was completed last year. And Broek and his partner Randy Ronsiek are working to finish the last units in the first residential condominium.

There will be about 495 units on the 73-acre project when it is complete.

Condo prices range from $309,000 to $559,900 in several locations and configurations for both recreation and investment, Broek notes.

"The remaining units will be constructed as the market commands. The indoor waterpark is really there to make the area more attractive - sell the condos and rent rooms," Broek explains.

Also making the area more attractive are two retaining ponds that are a part of what Broek termed "a low-impact development." In addition to controlling drainage from Bridges Bay's 70 plus acres and another 60 acres that belong to neighbors, Broek notes they also will enhance the beauty of the project.

Bridges Bay's anticipated indoor waterpark competition, at The Inn in Okoboji, recently withdrew its building permit, though owner Dave Slattery still anticipates expansion in the not-too-distant future.

In addition to the several pools with depths suitable for toddlers to teens and beyond, the first and only indoor facility in the area also features two waterslides - one for body surfing the corkscrew that goes outside the building, and a two-person slide that lets bathers share a tube.

It was the two-person waterslide that had Spirit Lake banker Steve Lindeberg's 10-year-old grandson Sam, up the stairway several times shortly after Bridges Bay opened.

"I can't get him to do anything else," the banker explained after he made several trips up and down with his grandson.

Lindeberg's other grandson found fun on the lazy river "where he could put his head in the water and let the river carry him along. Four-year-old Jack also had fun on the pirate ship slide," Lindeberg explained, adding that he'd be bringing his family back often which is why he bought a punch card for admission.

Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce executive Tom Kuhlman hopes many others will think the same way. Kuhlman says he has been working for the last two decades to get more year-round activities in the Iowa Great Lakes area, is thrilled to see "lots of kids and lots of families really having a ball in the pools, and on the waterslides."

Bridges Bay has been booked to capacity many weekends through the summer and winter months.