Grayling Amusement Park to have 'Main Street America' theme
Andrew Norton
I have previously posted on the possibility of an amusement park coming to Grayling in March and last July. The newest plans to come forth from the park's potential builder, Axiom Entertainment, sound rather ambitious (to put it mildly). The idea for the overall theme of the park is 'Main Street America'. Plans for the 1,800 acre site include:
- Roller Coasters (can't be an amusement park without 'em, right?)
- Water Park (not sure if this is strictly outdoor, indoor, or a combination)
- Indoor Surfing
- Snowmobile Tracks
- Race Car Tracks
- Snowboarding
- A Working Farm
- 200 Acre Campground
- Amphitheater
- Hotel
- Shopping
Construction could begin this year with a partial park opening in the summer of 2010, local officials said.
Here are the comments folks left when I first posted about this potential park last July. What a bad idea!!! If it comes, I,m leaving for good. Grayling is an old fashion, trusting kind of town. This park will bring all kinds of scum and crooks. Grayling will never be the same. - Tammie Might be the only thing to improve the job oppotunities in this part of the state, everyone else seems to be leaving. - CDM I think it’s an awsome idea!!! can’t and you wont please everyone =) that’s what makes politics so fun! - Rick
Well, last I knew, Crawford County, where Grayling is located, was the poorest county in the state. That was some time ago and over the years it doesn’t seem to have changed much. It would certainly bring much needed money into the area.
Since it is straight up the !-75 corridor, it would be an easy jaunt. It would bring more tourists to the area. Not only would Grayling benefit but so would other towns that surround it. The motels would be full. The restaurants packed. But Grayling, at this point, does not have an abundance of either. Much less gas stations and supermarkets. And Grayling offers nothing in the way of shopping so they would eventually have to deal with that aspect as well.
It will cause the town to take pause and consider hiring more law enforcement as well. There are numerous things they will have to take into consideration.
What I don’t understand is how are they going to keep that park open year round, with the winters we have in the area? It’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Needless to say, there is going to be even more rif raf coming into the area and overflowing into the surrounding towns as well. Just what we all want to deal with. Yea! - Binky
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Will the park be built? Will it draw enough tourists to stay in business? Will it help improve the Grayling economy?
We'll just have to wait and see.
Via the Traverse City Record Eagle