By Erica Solvig
Enquirer staff writer

MASON - A Wisconsin-based company is getting millions of dollars of encouragement to build an indoor water park resort on the Paramount's Kings Island campground.

City Council approved Monday night a 10-year, $8.9 million tax-incentive package with Great Lakes Companies Inc., which is proposing an $80 million Great Wolf Lodge Family Resort with an indoor water park and conference center.

With that in place, the city will try to obtain a $350,000 incentive package from the state - bringing the total to $9.25 million. Plus, the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which gets a portion of the bed tax that's collected from hotel stays, is also looking at a deal to encourage the development.

Officials expect that all this will persuade Great Lakes to build here rather than other locations they've been considering, including sites in Kentucky and Indiana. Should it be built, the resort is expected to have a $4 million-plus annual economic impact to the region, encourage more visitors year-round and boost tourism - Warren County's largest industry that already generates $410 million a year.

Michele Blair, the city's economic development director said the resort would help stimulate development.

The city anticipates the resort will generate $5.5 million over 10 years for Mason - including earnings taxes and the part of the bed tax not reimbursed to the developer as an incentive - but that figure does not include the economic impact from sales tax, Blair said.

Plans are still being finalized, but Great Lakes hopes to build a woodland lodge-themed resort with 365 family suites, a 90,000-square-foot water park and a 50,000-square foot conference center on 38 acres.

The resort could open as soon as 2006, with future expansions calling for apartment-style condominium suites. It's been estimated that about 500,000 guests would visit each year.

Great Lakes officials say the conference center - described as a key part of the year-round draw - is being designed after getting feedback from area businesses.

"While Kings Island attracts a lot of people on a daily basis, it is not a historical vacation destination where people spend multiple nights and weeks at a time," Chief Executive Officer John Emery said. "What the conference center allows us to do is create year-round demand."

Great Lakes and Kings Island will try to wrap up their negotiations and make an official announcement in a "couple of weeks," Emery said.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com