04 Jan 2019
US$200m Great Wolf waterpark and resort planned for Maryland
BY Andy Knaggs
A proposed US$200m (€174.6m, £157.8m) project to build Maryland’s first Great Wolf Lodge waterpark would deliver up to 600 new full and part-time jobs and could attract more than half a million visitors annually, according to administrators of the town of Perryville, US.
Perryville and the Cecil County of Economic Development say they are "working towards" the development of a 450 to 500 bedroom resort that would be completed by Q3 2022. As well as the waterpark element of the resort, it would include a family entertainment area with a rope course, climbing wall, restaurants and shops, and a conference centre that could accommodate up to 1,000 people.
Great Wolf Resorts, which operates the Great Wolf Lodge brand, has a chain of 18 indoor waterparks across the US and Canada, with the nearest to Maryland being in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The company said that "continued dialogue" with town and county officials and the community was still required to "explore" the prospect of a Great Wolf resort at the site.
The site selected for the resort is a 44-acre area next to Hollywood Casinos at Chesapeake Overlook, 43 miles from Baltimore. A further 55 acres at this location remain available for future development.
Great Wolf Resorts director of corporate communications Jason Lasecki commented upon the proposed development, telling Attractions Management: "As we look to expand the Great Wolf Lodge experience to new audiences, we see the potential for additional resorts in the Mid-Atlantic region. The I-95 corridor running through Maryland is an area of interest to us and the state’s establishment of ‘Approved Enterprise Zones’ shows its commitment to new business development in the state.
"We’ve had some preliminary discussions with leaders in Perryville and Cecil County regarding the potential for a future Great Wolf Lodge. There is no question the designation of Perryville as one of the ‘Approved Enterprise Zones’ will be a significant consideration as we further evaluate this opportunity. We feel Perryville could be a nice fit for us and look forward to continued dialogue with city and county officials, as well as the community at large, as we explore the prospect for a Great Wolf Lodge in Maryland."
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