Legoland New York
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Another article about the open house in Goshen.

A spokesman for Merlin Entertainment confirmed Monday that officials from the company will present details of the project at the 7:30 p.m. meeting. The Goshen Town Board also has announced the meeting on its website.

The project would encompass about 300 acres, which would make it the largest Legoland park in this country and about twice the size of the current largest park in Florida.

Merlin officials are referring to the proposed park as Legoland New York.

The theme parks are larger, with more attractions, than the indoor Legoland Discovery Centers. Merlin Entertainment previously announced plans to open a Legoland Discovery Center at the American Dream shopping and entertainment project under construction in the Meadow-lands.

Source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/building-on-legoland-plan-1.1615577

Goshen open house will detail plans for $800M park but the opposition is organizing.

Legoland New York will show park concepts to Hudson Valley residents and answer questions about its plan for an $800 million project at a community event next week.

It is the latest attempt to show residents of Goshen, Orange County, that "everything is awesome" with the park's development plans. Three Legoland officials will answer questions and discuss job opportunities at the July 7 event at Goshen's Palacio Catering and Conference Center.

Legoland and its developing company, Merlin Entertainments PLC, aim to familiarize town residents, some of whom have bristled at the potential development, with the park.The event follows failed initial efforts to build in Haverstraw, Rockland County, last year. Legoland New York would span 523 acres in Goshen, a town about 115 miles southwest of Albany. About 30 percent of the space would be developed, with rides, shows, attractions, offices and the potential for a future aquarium. A 250-room hotel is planned to open with the park.

Its proximity to New York City, Boston and Philadelphia made it an "absolute perfect site" for the brand, said John Ussher, senior divisional director of Legoland Development, in a statement.

Merlin Entertainments, which operates Legoland in California and Florida, said it would expect Legoland New York to create 800 construction jobs, 500 full-time jobs, 300 part-time jobs and 500 seasonal jobs, a company presentation posted to the Goshen town website said.

The indoor and outdoor attractions at the park could draw between 1.5 million and 2.5 million customers in its first year operating, the Merlin presentation projected. Tourists would be expected to account for about a third of visitors.

Merlin's project has attracted large state investments. In 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo allocated $3.1 million to the Merlin Entertainments Group for the park, calling attention to its potential to boost employment and economic development in the area.

But some Goshen residents criticize the project for its potential noise and air pollution, as well as anticipated traffic. A Facebook group entitled "Stop Legoland Goshen NY" has more than 1,000 members.

"We don't have to play games with Legoland — we're not a county that's desperate for this sort of development," said Michael Sussman, 62, who planned to host a meeting Tuesday evening at his Goshen law office that would discuss zoning and other potential challenges.

The project, Sussman said, is "way out of scope and scale" with what the town can handle, particularly in areas like water usage and emergency response preparedness. The proposed development would use 236,000 gallons of water per day from the Village of Goshen, according to an environmental assessment.
Ussher said in a statement that the park "would welcome the opportunity to become a new and respectful neighbor to Goshen and Orange County, and we promise to be sensitive of the beauty this region offers visitors who seek a variety of destination experiences."

Legoland spokesman Josh Sommers said the open house is an "important opportunity to provide accurate information about our plans and answer questions from the community." Before construction, the Goshen Town Board would have to rezone part of the space as a commercial recreation overlay district.

The town planning board must also approve the project's permit, plan and subdivision. Attorneys submitted a development application to the town planning board on June 13.Town planning officials did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus called the project a "regional game changer" and spoke to its potential economic impact in a statement released by Legoland. Some Haverstraw residents objected when Legoland explored the possibility of building in the Rockland County town.

At an October town meeting, 28 Haverstraw residents expressed concerns about the proposed project.
Several days later, town supervisor Howard Phillips Jr. said the town would not proceed with the Legoland proposal. Legoland did not hold an open house in Haverstraw, Sommers said. "This event will further inform the community of our plans and also provide a forum for Legoland officials to hear from Goshen and Orange County residents," he said.

[email protected] • 518-454-5018 • @lindsayaellis

Source: http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-business/article/Goshen-to-hear-Legoland-New-York-plans-8330816.php

Any information about this project?

Status: announced