|
Xventure™
Resort
More than a Waterpark for the Columbia River Gorge
 Gorge
Games® founder Peggy Lalor and her newly formed "Xventure™
Resort at the Gorge" partners announced plans to build
a unique Hotel/Conference Center/Spa/Indoor and Outdoor Adventure
Park on one of three sites owned by the Port of The Dalles, NW
Aluminum or the Port of Hood River.
The
proposed 250+ room Grand Lodge Style Hotel with 400 person conference
facilities featuring unique leadership and health programs, Spa,
40,000 sq feet of indoor and 5+ acres of outdoor park featuring
things like a; surfable wave up to 12', in ground kayaking courses,
climbing walls over water, simulated windsurfing & kiteboarding
along with rides, slides and lazy rivers found in traditional
water parks. An area just outside the gated park called the Xzone
will offer a pay to play environment with ice skating/Inline skating,
BMX, skate park, batting cages, Xventure golf etc which will compliment
the whole concept of creating a safe environment for healthy active
play for all ages. The food and beverage menus will also reflect
a healthy lifestyle.
The
Xventure™ Resort is financially backed by experts in hotel
& water park development and management and finance through
Holloway Investments & PacRim Hospitality of Halifax NS, Bruce
Dalen of Amusement Leisure Worldwide, Calgary AB and Paul McGrade
of Redbank Creek of San Diego. In a statement from the partners
Bruce Dalen expressed "We are excited to focus our expertise
in the development of a cutting edge, first of its kind resort
that redefines the family amusement park along with revolutionary
corporate development. The Columbia River Gorge offers an authentic
connection to North America's most renowned outdoor recreation
area creating a perfect setting to launch Xventure™ Resorts
on a worldwide basis."
The
project is estimated to cost over $50 million to construct and
will bring 350+ direct jobs to the Gorge community. Andrea Klaas,
Executive Director of the Port of The Dalles says that "the
project is a fabulous opportunity for the region, providing a
lot more to a community than just the direct jobs. Similar to
Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, it will provide considerable revenue
through the room tax dollars to bolster regional marketing not
to mention the new facilities it offers our local citizens. Like
Gorge Games® before it, Xventure™ Resort has the potential
to again create a draw that will bring people from near and far
to enjoy our beautiful area."
Xventure™
Resort partners chose a non-traditional approach to the placement
of the resort to ensure the community and economic development
partners have an open process to understand what is being offered,
time to discuss it and make a decision on the level of support
they are willing and able to offer. "We want a community
that wants Xventure™ and supports it. There is a great deal
more to choosing the placement of this enterprise than just the
price of land." said Peggy Lalor. "The competition between
communities will serve to drive the best deal, flush out issues
and know our options in the shortest amount of time so we can
begin."
There
will be a presentation by the partners of the Xventure™ Resort
vision, on Aug 10th at 10am in The Dalles at the Columbia Gorge
Discovery Center - MJ Murdock Theatre. Xventure partners will be
on hand to talk about the proposed project and answer questions
in priority from the property owners, the press and public citizens.
For more detailed information see www.xventure.com.
|
Business
News for the Columbia River Gorge 
