LAGRANGE, Ga. -- We're getting our first look at a 500,000-square foot resort that includes an indoor water park in LaGrange.
Great Wolf Resorts announced plans last year to bring a Great Wolf Resort to LaGrange.
On Thursday, officials gave the media a sneak preview of the resort in a special hard hat tour. LaGrange city officials told 11Alive last year that Great Wolf is investing $150 million into building the hotel and water park. The company said the resort would bring more than 400,000 visitors into the area and create 600 jobs.
According to the company's website, Great Wolf Lodge Georgia is officially "set to howl in 2018." The resort is already accepting reservations for stays beginning May 31. Click here for more details.
The resort includes a 93,000 square foot water park complete with " thrilling waterslides, a giant tipping bucket, wave pool, lazy river and zero-depth entry water play areas for pre-swimmers."
In addition to the water park, the resort will include a ropes course and climbing wall, as well as "family-size bowling lanes and enormous redemption arcade".
There will be 456 guest suites at the Georgia location, according to a press release. There are on-site restaurants, family-centered attractions, spas and their popular indoor water park, among other attractions.
Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. have only released renderings of the outside of the facility.
According to a release, "admission to Great Wolf Lodge Georgia’s indoor water park will be exclusive to resort guests, and included with each overnight reservation."
The city of LaGrange has been active in attracting the company to build the resort in the area. Great Wolf will receive about 31 percent of hotel-motel tax revenue, which will be used to market the resort. That marketing must include LaGrange, and the city will have input on how it's presented.
"This really is going to help us diversity," said LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton. "Everywhere Great Wolf goes, commercial development follows, and we anticipate that happening again here at exit 13 off 85."
For 15 years, Great Wolf will also be given a tax break on property tax. Its annual property tax bill will start at 10 percent of the assessed property tax. The bill will then increase each year by 5 percent.
Thornton said last year that the city had offered incentives to attract industrial companies and now they were focused on boosting tourism.
Photos |Other Great Wolf Lodge resorts
