El Paso Approves Land Swap, Incentives for Great Wolf Lodge

The El Paso City Council approved a multimillion-dollar incentives package and a large land trade to lure Great Wolf Lodge to West El Paso. The council approved a plan to trade 2,313 acres of city-owned land surrounding the Painted Dunes golf course in northeast El Paso for 44 acres on the west side, which is owned by businessman Paul Foster. Additionally, El Paso County Commissioners Court approved a $4.3 million property and hotel sales tax rebate for the project.

The project would be at Interstate 10 and Paseo Del Norte, and built at a projected cost of $150 million to $160 million. It would have at least 350 hotel rooms, approximately 10,000 square feet of convention space and an indoor water park.

The deal has several more hurdles, one of which is that Great Wolf needs to secure funding for the project. The company has 18 months to give the city a final decision on building the resort.

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