Home Brentwood Brentwood Set to Enter Exclusive Negotiations with Great Wolf Resorts

Brentwood Set to Enter Exclusive Negotiations with Great Wolf Resorts

by ECT

On Tuesday, the Brentwood City Council will vote to approve an Exclusive Negotiations Agreement between the City and Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.

In two other related items, the council will discuss an Agreement for Economic Analysis and Financial Advisory Services with HR&A Advisors while amending the 2016/17 General Fund Operating Budget in Order for the City and Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. to Continue Discussions and Begin Extensive Due Diligence of a Possible Site in Brentwood.

Tuesday’s decision could have a fiscal impact of $275,000 in a General Fund Amendment if approved – Brentwood would still maintain its 30% General Fund Reserve.

According to the staff report prepared by City Manager Gus Vina, they say the amount is necessary. The $275,000 would go to HR&A Advisors to fund the requisite legal support, economic and feasibility analysis and due diligence process which is necessary to provide assurance to the City Council, residents and staff that a potential agreement with Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. would be in the City’s best long-term interest.

Meanwhile, the City is touting the projects economic opportunity which includes:

  • 800 permanent jobs
  • Over $6 million in initial revenues.
  • Additional opportunity for tourism
  • Over a half a million visitors
  • $5 million to be spent annually by Great Wolf Resorts on marketing
  • In addition to the direct revenue opportunities there are potentially significant economic advantages as this could become a catalyst project for the development of Priority Area 1.

Photo posted on Great Wolf Lodge Resort Facebook Page

The project first came to light in the early summer of 2016 when Great Wolf Resorts approached the City of Brentwood of an interest for a Northern California location for a Great Wolf Lodge. Brentwood and Gilroy appear to be the two finalist for the project.

According to the Exclusive Negotiations Agreement, the plan is subject to a master plan design which include:

  • An indoor water park and family entertainment center
  • 400-500 associated hotel rooms in phase one
  • Future planning capacity for 600-700 rooms (resort)
  • Associated conference center of approximately 25,000 square feet
  • Shared parking facilities
  • Project to be located on approximately 50 acres
  • 700-800 permanent direct jobs at buildout and hundreds of construction jobs during building.

If you go:
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
7:00 pm
City Council Chambers
150 City Park Way, Brentwood

Staff Report (22 pages):
http://brentwood.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=38&event_id=360&meta_id=169850

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20 comments

Terry Clake Jan 24, 2017 - 11:38 am

This project changes the entire layout of East Contra Costa. How tall is this building anyway? How wide? This is 50 acres of concrete. No thank you. Brentwood is only looking for the money, not the negative impacts it has on everyone else. Unless you pay $300 a night, you cant even use the water park

Anon Too Jan 24, 2017 - 12:09 pm

I sort of assumed that the water park would be day use as well…imagine my surprise…if you want to go there, you have to stay there. I don’t live in Brentwood, but that would get a big thumbs down from me as well.

Julio Jan 24, 2017 - 12:15 pm

Not for this at all. Mr. Mayor sees this as his legacy. Don’t let it happen.

Ben Jan 24, 2017 - 12:34 pm

I have a few questions: First how many stories will this facility likely be? And does this organization that is looking to build here realize how long it takes for a fire truck with medical or fire services is taking on average? Brentwood should be investing in it’s fire services before it builds any big facilities or any more houses for that matter. I want to know how often fire services are called to the other local water parks and do we have ladder trucks appropriate to fight a fire in tall building?

Okay here is another question: All of those jobs? How much will they pay? I can’t imagine very many will pay above the $70,000- 100,000+ that it takes to buy a house (minimally) right now. I would expect that many of the jobs will pay less than $30,000 per year. Rentals are so expensive right now and there are so few apartments that most likely these lower paying jobs will employ people outside of the area EQUALING more cars coming in and out.

How much water will this water park use? When we just went through a couple of bad drought years and water costs went up for residence will Brentwood make them pay their fair share?

Finally who’s land will this likely land on? I don’t know the answer but I can guess. It’s likely one or two or three of the good old boys that control things. These good old boys don’t care that we don’t have the infrastructure (housing, fire, roads) to support low paying jobs. They just want to sell their land and are directing their puppets to do their bidding.

I wish Brentwood would live up to the reputation they are trying to build and invest in providing the best services for the thousands of new people that have already moved here in the last 10 years. Build lower income housing if they want to make tourism their niche. I think this project is a bad idea but will predict that the puppet council will do as the string pullers direct.

Old Pittsburg/Antioch Hwy Border Jan 24, 2017 - 2:33 pm

Proposed site is South of Hierdorn Ranch Road and West of Streets of Brentwood and North of Sand Creek Road extension to Antioch.

Anon Too Jan 24, 2017 - 1:11 pm

I live in Oakley, but was all for this until I found out that you really do have to stay at their captive hotel to use the water park. This has ZERO benefit for local residents outside of 800 almost-sure-to-be-minimum-wage jobs.

Old Pittsburg/Antioch Hwy Border Jan 24, 2017 - 2:24 pm

Gilroy has this wrapped up. Location is everything in the resort business. Brentwood is sure to be scammed of $245,000 and more to come. Can they not see Wolf Resorts needs a competitor to put pressure on Gilroy to bend to their will?

B-Wood Jan 24, 2017 - 2:28 pm

This is ridiculous. Time to rally the troops and let Brentwood know we DON’T want this here.

Are you listening Brentwood City Council????

sferrer Jan 24, 2017 - 3:06 pm

how can we SAY NO to this OMG first the un-necessary median on brentwood blvd and now a resort? UGGGH that does not benefit local community at all! they can not even fill the empty vacant hotels already in area? What attraction would bring people to stay at $300/night resort out in brentwood? UGGGG what is wrong with city council?

Travis Martin Jan 24, 2017 - 3:04 pm

Build it!….. Our ECC need jobs and development beyond homes and retail shopping. This is a resort investment and creates a more destination atmosphere. Lets quit being a end of the road where people commute from.

Jeanne Jan 24, 2017 - 6:00 pm

Have you ever been to one of these resorts? They are upscale and amazing. This project will bring a lot of revenue into the City of Brentwood. It will be a destination for people from the Bay Area and they will spend a lot of money in Brentwood. Property values will rise as a result of this. This will be a great thing for Brentwood.

Rodney Griffin Jan 24, 2017 - 7:56 pm

NO more development until we have FULLY funded and manned FIRE SERVICES!

Steve Walker Jan 25, 2017 - 8:44 am

Or, get more development so we can finally fund and fully man our fire services?

Valerie Jan 24, 2017 - 8:12 pm

Jeanne I see no improved property values as a matter of fact a tourist attraction like this will not be an amenity or feature to improve the nearby neighborhoods- exactly the opposite. People from out of town driving around your neighborhood causing traffic.

I agree about the fire district too.

Lee Jan 24, 2017 - 9:44 pm

I am watching the council meeting and Barr just said they have to invest “a little bit of money” to see if this will work. If $274,000 is a little bit of money then they should put a “little bit of money” in to the fire district and get it squared away before they build these big facilities.

Not a Jim fan Jan 24, 2017 - 11:26 pm

Barr is a fool and has zero fiscal sense. He only thinks it’s a little bit of money because it’s not his, it’s yours!

This is local government at its worst. Steve Barr has no business being on the fire board and no business in local government. Quit voting for inferior candidates and East county (including Brentwood) could prosper. What do we expect when we have people like Taylor and Barr steering the ship. My pet parakeets could do a superior job.

Steve Walker Jan 25, 2017 - 8:46 am

I’m in favor of leaving my name, and not posting some anonymous comment, when I call another man a fool in a public newspaper

Not a Jim fan Jan 25, 2017 - 2:23 pm

That’s your choice Steve. I prefer to let the facts speak for themselves rather than putting the emphasis on the messenger. This is not a “public newspaper” it is a web based site that allows for anonymous comment. Stating anything contrary appears foolish to me, but that is just my “opinion”. Steve Barr’s record of failure, lack of accomplishments and bad decisions speaks for itself. Yours is merely to accept or dismiss.

B-Wood Jan 25, 2017 - 11:48 pm

@ Steve Walker

If you the same person that has posted a number of times as “Walkers Planet” you may want to look up the definition of hypocrisy.

In the meantime I see that your solution /above/ to fixing our fire department is to bring in even more development. You may want to look up overtaxing existing resources next. With that kind of thinking the mayor and the growth hungry city council is going to love you. Rampant growth is what has caused the majority of problems here.

Nick Jan 25, 2017 - 5:44 pm

As a resident of Oakley, I don’t care one way or the other. As far as leaving comments using your real first and last name – maybe if you have a common name. I don’t recommend it otherwise. Not in today’s society.

Comments are closed.