Another site in Chester also is under consideration for the Great Wolf development, which would include a hotel. Great Wolf’s preferred site in Orange County is the county-owned land in Chester and Blooming Grove that formerly was used for New York City’s Camp La Guardia homeless shelter.
“Legoland being approved and fully under construction definitely helped push over the line because I think they are fishing from the same pool,” Neuhaus said. Legoland New York is to open in Goshen in 2020. Neuhaus said that while Great Wolf has been looking at the area for about a year, the creation of a Legoland theme park in Orange County essentially sealed the deal. Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus revealed Wednesday that he has had discussions with Great Wolf officials.
The announcement comes as an indoor water park already is under construction next to the new Resorts World Catskills casino in the Sullivan County town of Thompson. The 50,000-square-foot facility, located in the Newburgh Mall near the intersection of Interstates 84 and 87 in downstate New York, is about 50 miles north of New York City. Great Wolf Lodge, which operates indoor water park resorts, is eyeballing southern Orange County for one of its family-friendly facilities.
