fabulous grayling. ok. not really fabulous by ArtsyT
The Gaylord Herald Times reports that Grayling Township planning commissioners voted unanimously to approve a concept plan for a $161-million, four-season Main Street America theme park. The plan requires the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) to sell land to Rochester-based Axiom Entertainment. The article says that Axiom spokesman Patrick Crosson:
...laid out a basic concept of how the theme park — designed for year-round, four-season operation — would function. The park featured several attractions, from a water park and roller coasters in summer, to winter events such as snowmobile racing tracks and toboggan lifts. Other conceptual features of the park included a shopping district, educational and entertainment exhibits like an assembly-line roller coaster, an indoor surfing venue, 500-person competitive video game center and oval race track.
Economically, Crosson said the park would employ 700 full-time employees, but have a total workforce of about 2,000, depending on the season. The minimum wage at the park would be $8 per hour, with many of the jobs, like operating a theme-park ride, requiring a college degree and paying approximately $36,000, explained Crosson. He estimated the planned annual payroll to be $25 million.
Read Grayling theme park in the works, Axiom predicts 700 full-time jobs, $25 million dollar payroll and How to snare a job at Main Street America in the Gaylord Herald Times. They also say there will be extensive features on Sunday.
More Links
- Axiom Entertainment of Rochester has AxiomTV who say they offer only films and TV shows that are suitable for the whole family. Nothing on our site will make you cringe or cover your eyes or ears.
- TV 9&10 has a video on the proposed theme park and reactions from Grayling folks.
- Residents React to Theme Park Proposal from TV 7&4 has several very tiny renderings (and a miniature map) and adds that there will be a train designed to look like the Polar Express.
- Maps. Got to have maps. Here's the Flickr photo map of Grayling and the Google map for Grayling, MI.
- Theme park idea excites Grayling from the Traverse City Record-Eagle adds that green energy sources would include up to 200 windmills.
- Taken for a Ride from the Mackinac Center - says that Axiom also seeking $25 million in sewer, water, highway and other infrastructure improvements from the state and that perhaps that's not the best use of state money in these difficult times.
There's a few comments about this over here - what do you think? As always, if you have relevant links, add them below!
7 Comments
Wow -- this is the most thorough coverage I've seen anywhere on this development. Great job. Gotta love the Web.
Thanks Beth. I hope people can keep updating us here with links to stories as they happen ... and maybe some photos.
the mainsteet america grayling, mi project....great for the area....heard the
Disney group is involved
Grayling theme park to use all renewable energy from Great Lakes IT Report:
Here's a column from John Bebow listing four reasons why a huge amusement park in Grayling could be a bum ride. My favorite is #4:
Seems risky, so don't get hopes up much. Even further from population centers than Flint's Auto World. Remember that one? Try and find it today. You'll find Forrest Dunes, but not too many tourists.
They'll never get any real private investment.
I think the project will do well if they ever build. It is close to Houghton Lake and Higgins Lake, which both attract tourism during summer and winter. Plus, it is close to two Highways, US127, and I-75, and it is on the way to the UP and Mackinac Island, so the traffic will be there. Not to mention, Houghton Lake draws people in August with Bud Bash, and in Janruary with Tip-Up-Town. And what about hunting and fishing?? The wife and kids can go to the Theme Park while dad is hunting opening day, or out on the lake fishing. My point is that there is already a lot of travel and bussiness brought to the area through current tourism, the theme park would simply add to it and maybe speed up our slow months. The economy would grow.
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