The plans for the Legoland New York park in Goshen had been delayed by the local approval process, but conditional approval is now in hand, and Merlin Entertainments CEO Nick Varney announced in a press conference and ceremony today that the project will proceed to construction.
"We have spent a lot of time building relationships in the community, listening and responding to concerns, and we are looking forward to building a theme park that will enhance the community and be a tremendous neighbor," Varney said.
The $350 million Legoland New York is slated to open in 2020. It joins Legoland parks in Carlsbad, California and Winter Haven, Florida, as well as parks in Europe, Dubai, Malaysia, and Japan. Goshen is located north of New York City, between Interstates 84 and 87, about 30 miles west of West Point.
For trivia buffs, Goshen is located in New York's Orange County, making it yet another U.S. theme park located in an Orange County.
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Anyone know offhand how the Hudson River Valley's weather compares with that in Gunzburg, Germany? I suspect that New York's weather would be worse that in Billund or Windsor, but I don't know for certain.
I wonder if they'll be trying to go year round. Given that legoland tends to be a "Me too" experience rather than a headliner drawing people to a place (like a Disney park), New York City might have the sheer tourist numbers to pull it off... I guess it comes down to how easy it will be for a tourist to get to the park.
I'm glad this project got approved, and hopefully it will wind up being successful. It is a little worrying, however, that the park is probably about a 90 minute drive from New York city, which means it will be a very tough sell for tourists.
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