When officials with the Jackson Chamber announced Great Wolf Lodge – a family resort with an indoor water park, restaurants, arcades and spas – was headed for Tiger Jones Park off Ridgecrest Road, they had no way of knowing a pandemic was about to hit this country.

That was February, but Kyle Spurgeon, the Chamber’s CEO remains as optimistic today as he was when local leadership announced Great Wolf Lodge was considering making a $150 million investment and building a new lodge in Jackson.

“Our local team, the State of Tennessee and Great Wolf Lodge continue to work together to make a new lodge a reality in Jackson,” Spurgeon said, “Like many projects, COVID-19 has slowed the decision process and much of the due diligence and work required by all parties to successfully complete a project of this magnitude.

“We are confident this project will be finalized and expect to be able to provide more information in 2021.”

Negotiations on the project began in November 2018, and it was discussed construction could possibly begin in the summer of 2021, with a completion date 18 months later.

Great Wolf Lodge has 18 existing lodges in the United States and Canada.

Headquartered in Chicago, the investment Great Wolf Lodge would make in Jackson and Madison County would mean 500 jobs for the area – 250 full time – while attracting about 500,000 visitors annually to the resort which would also offer 300 hotel rooms.

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(PHOTO: One of 18 Great Wolf Lodge resorts)

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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