by Donald Wood
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Wed July 13, 2016
PHOTO: Deadwood, South Dakota (Photo courtesy of ThinkStock )
A $40 million proposal for the construction of a theme park in Deadwood, South Dakota, is being embraced by supporters and locals due to the impact the project could have on the tourism industry for the area.
According to The Associated Press, proposal organizers are hoping that the new amusement park-dubbed the Golden Nugget Theme Park-could be completed by 2019. Plans are for the park to be located near The Lodge at Deadwood or on land in Whitewood Canyon.
Deadwood Mayor Chuck Turbiville believes the theme park proposal would not only help bring more families to the historic town, but it would also create local jobs and increase revenue through property and sales tax collections.
The group of investors proposing the theme park hails from a diverse background that includes the gas industry, the Air Force and business. They intend on breaking ground in 2017 and having the facility open to the public in 2019.
The realtor working with the investment group, Todd Fierro, has brought in a theme park consulting company to analyze several possible sites and begin planning for the construction of the facility.
"We're smart enough to know we need the people behind us who know what they are doing, who know the theme park business," Fierro told The AP. "They would run it for the first five years to ensure it gets a good start."
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