Gilroy’s city council released a statement Wednesday that it has launched into a 60-day exclusive negotiation with the national Great Wolf Lodges, a hotel and water park resort.
Some of the facts, shared by Great Wolf include:
- Great Wolf has identified Gilroy as a preferred site due to its location, local labor force, and proximity to other community and visitor attractions. Other Northern California locations are under consideration as well, but due to the exclusivity period, Great Wolf will negotiate only with Gilroy during the 60-day term.
- Benefits to the Gilroy community include significant new tax revenues, new construction and permanent resort jobs, and other community benefits.The Lodge would generate new Transit Occupancy Tax, Sales Tax, and Property Tax revenues, which go into the City’s General Fund to pay for roads, police and fire services, city parks, recreational programs, and other amenities.
- The Lodge would generate new Transit Occupancy Tax, Sales Tax, and Property Tax revenues, which go into the City’s General Fund to pay for roads, police and fire services, city parks, recreational programs, and other amenities.
- The project would create an estimated 1,500 construction and 500 permanent resort jobs.
- The Lodge would draw new visitors to Gilroy. These visitors would not otherwise visit Gilroy, instead choosing to visit other cities for their family vacation. These new visitors will visit other local attractions, shops, restaurants, and businesses. All of this benefits Gilroy through positive economic impact and helps pay for services, programs and amenities throughout the community.Â
• The proposed resort is planned for up to 700 family suites, with shops, restaurants, conference facilities, an indoor waterpark, and other on-site attractions.
• Great Wolf Lodge resorts attract families with children ages 2 to 12.
• Guests typically drive 1 to 4 hours to stay at a Great Wolf Lodge, with an average stay of 1 to 2 nights.
• The proposed Gilroy location would likely draw visitors from the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Central Valley, and Central Coast regions, as well as some out-of-state and foreign visitors.
• A Great Wolf Lodge resort typically welcomes nearly 500,000 visitors throughout the entire year. This is approximately the same as the annual attendance at Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park (open seasonally, March through December).
• Great Wolf Lodge limits access to its indoor waterpark exclusively to guests staying at the resort. This creates a more enjoyable experience for guests by reducing wait times for the slides and attractions, while also ensuring more safe and secure environment for guests.
 • The proposed site is on land currently owned by the City of Gilroy, just south of Highway 152/Hecker Pass. The site is adjacent to Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park and is currently used primarily for storage and parking. W
• Starting August 1, 2017, Great Wolf entered a 60-day exclusivity period to gather input from the City and the community.
• If the City and Great Wolf agree to move forward with locating a Great Wolf Lodge in Gilroy, construction could begin as early as December 2019.
