The world of Lego has expanded beyond retail shops and has expanded into movies and theme park resorts. The popularity of the parks in California and Florida ostensibly led to a third park to be set in Orange County, New York.
“LEGOLAND New York” will eventually reside on a 170 acre site in the town of Goshen. It is estimated that the park will cost $500 million to build. When completed, it will feature more than 50 rides and attraction based on the popular building bricks and will be catered towards children ages 2 through 12. A 250 room hotel will also be built across from the park. It is imagined that LEGOLAND New York will be open from April to November each year, with the hotel operating year round.
The developer for the project, Merlin Entertainments recently announced that it would break ground on the project early in 2018. It estimated that it would take two years to complete the park, so a tentative grand opening will be in 2020.
The project is a culmination of the relationships built between Merlin, community leaders and business leaders throughout Orange County. This is especially important given how significant transportation improvement projects were necessary to make LEGOLAND New York a reality. After all, the region is poised to see a large number of tourists after the park is completed, and special consideration was given to protect residents from traffic congestion.
The announcement is also an example of how large real estate projects can benefit from the work of an experienced real estate attorney. If you are embarking on such a project, we invite you to contact us.