Home » Developer Buys Land For $150 Million Ark Attraction

Developer Buys Land For $150 Million Ark Attraction

By Lane Report Staff

The first phase of the Ark Encounter is expected to open by 2014.
Ark Encounter LLC has closed on the last and largest piece of land needed for the development of a $150 million Noah’s Ark attraction set on 800 acres in Williamstown.

According to research cited by Ark Encounter, the attraction is expected to draw more than a million people in its first year.

In addition, the organization says that the completion of engineering and architectural work on the ark structure has revealed that the ark will have a significantly greater guest capacity than originally anticipated. That finding has eliminated the need to build the surrounding attractions that were initially projected to accommodate the expected crowds. As a result, Ark Encounter officials said, the project will be built in multiple phases over many years and will reduce the initial construction period and funding requirements. The ark and supporting elements such as interactive children’s activities, restaurants, live entertainment venues and shopping areas will open during the first phase, which is projected to be complete by 2014. Future phases will include a walled city, the Tower of Babel, a first-century Middle Eastern village, a walk-through aviary, a petting zoo and more.