WALLKILL – While Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus doesn’t let a week go by without lobbying Legoland to build a theme park in the county, state economic development officials will not comment about the prospects of landing it anywhere in the Hudson Valley.
Those state people say the issue is too sensitive, in negotiations and if a deal does materialize, they will announce it.
If Legoland decides to build in Orange County, it would mean a significant shot in the arm for the tourism industry of the region, and Empire State Development Corporation President Howard Zemsky said they stand behind growing tourism 100 percent.
“We believe tourism is a very big sector of the economy for New York and a particularly large sector of the economy in the Mid-Hudson, so as you know, New York State is a great partner for the Mid-Hudson and its strategic industries like tourism, so you can count on New York State to help advance tourism initiatives in this region for sure,” Zemsky told Mid-Hudson News.
As part of the Consolidated Funding Application process, the state earlier set aside funding to be applied to the Legoland project when it was initially targeting Haverstraw for its site. That town later turned down the offer for the theme park.
