UPDATE: Creation Museum seeking $37 Million tax break for Ark Encounter theme park

[Skwim]

"Ark Encounter LLC has options to purchase about 800 acres, about 200 of which are suitable for development, in Grant County, Ky., near the Veterans Cemetery North in Williamstown.

The ark itself is expected to be paid for through donations to Answers in Genesis and the limited liability corporation will be responsible for funding the rest of the project.

Officials said financing for the project should be in place before construction begins in the spring or summer of 2011.

Beshear said the group has applied for tax incentives via the Kentucky Tourism Development Act, and the fact that the project has a religious theme should not be a factor in the approval process.

“We have reviewed it from a legal standpoint,” Beshear said. “I think it’s clear that this is an economic development project. Our laws don’t allow us to discriminate as to the entertainment subject matter of a theme park.”The tourism act allows the developer to recover up to 25 percent of the cost of a project by recouping sales tax revenue paid to the state on tickets, lodging and other items."

Some political observers took issue with the Cabinet for Economic Development, which will handle application and oversee the incentives.

“What on earth is wrong with our economic development cabinet?” said Edgewood attorney Mark Guilfoyle. “They sit on their hands while the airport twists in the wind, then they spend time and energy incenting an amusement park? That cabinet has really misplaced priorities.”
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($150,000,000 X 25% = $37,500,000.)

 

[croak]

Look at all the trees... they're just going to slice all those trees down for some theme park, eh? It saddens me.

I wonder if the Ark contains a small zoo inside it. Poor animals, though.

 

[bobhikes]

If you get a good shot please post it. I tried to blow up that last one and its blurry. This ones even worse.

I read up on this yesterday, I thought the tax cut was already approved and an atheist group and some other group decided not to challenge it because all the tax money they did get was going to tourism. They didn't like the idea but said it was all legal.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Instead of building a full-scale Noah's Ark, why not use that money for charitable and humanitarian purposes?

 

[Sententia]

Kentucky... I dunno this sounds like the silliest idea ever although if you have to play the hand you are dealt.

If everyone is going to be anti-science crazed religious freaks then build em a theme park and rake in the bills. A fool and their money are soon parted.

 

[The_Evelyonian]

Instead of building a full-scale Noah's Ark, why not use that money for charitable and humanitarian purposes?

Looks like they're more interested in making money than giving it away.