Great Wolf Lodge, which passed over Gilroy to choose Manteca as the site for its next waterpark and hotel, announced it will open its new resort in the Central Valley city on June 29.
In August 2017, the City of Gilroy entered into an exclusive 60-day negotiation period with Great Wolf Lodge, pursuing what would have been a resort/hotel with up to 700 rooms on city-owned land next to Gilroy Gardens. The project, however, faced fierce opposition from nearby residents, who packed Gilroy City Council meetings to voice their opposition.
The negotiations dried up because Great Wolf said it preferred a site that was more “shovel ready.”
The new 500-room Great Wolf Lodge Northern California will feature a 95,000-square-foot indoor water park with a 45,000-square-foot Great Wolf Adventure Park that features an array of indoor attractions.
The resort’s grand opening was delayed a year due to Covid-19 uncertainties.
Talks to develop the land around Gilroy Gardens into a tourist destination have returned in recent months. The city received two proposals from developers earlier this year, and the council could consider entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement in the coming weeks, City Administrator Jimmy Forbis said during a council meeting on April 26.
