Environment-oriented theme park could be major tourist draw for Iowa

Project to generate an estimated $130 million in economic activity yearly

By Mike Sullivan The Weatherford Democrat Wed Oct 11, 2006, 12:03 PM CDT

PELLA, Iowa — If all goes as planned, up to a million tourists could begin descending on the shores of Iowa's Lake Red Rock in 2010 to visit a new kind of theme park, an environmentally-friendly place called Earthpark.

After months of speculation, the park's officials announced Marion County, in central Iowa, as the site of the park, which will include a 600,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, exterior prairie and wetland exhibits, an indoor rain forest biome, and galleries on global environmental science issues. Sophisticated ‘green’ technologies and demonstrations of how such innovations can benefit the economy and environment will also be seen by visitors.

Other than the Eden Project, in London, there's no similar park in the world.

The park, which will feature sustainable design and use renewable systems, will sit along the "spectacular" north shore of Lake Red Rock in Marion County, according to David Oman, Earthpark’s executive director.

Des Moines businessman Ted Townsend and associates had negotiated with several cities – including Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Des Moines to be the location of Earthpark. All three cities, for one reason or another, were unable to secure the Earthpark location.

Pella’s plans for the location include a donation of 70 acres by the developers of the Point at Red Rock, which will contain a 240-acre residential, recreation and retail development near Red Rock Lake. Townsend added, “I could not be more pleased in Pella, it is more special than Eden.”

Developer Mark Bockenstedt said, “Earthpark belongs here. The Point is a natural setting like no other and Pella definitely knows how to roll out the red carpet to visitors.”

Marion County Supervisor Howard Pothoven said Earthpark will generate an estimated $130 million in economic activity each year, create 500 construction jobs for three years, more than 150 permanent jobs and some two-thousand indirect jobs.

The Earthpark board met last Thursday morning to make their final decision. Board member former Gov. Robert Ray, along with Oman, and board members Philippe Cousteau and architect Andrew Whalley announced the decision to the media.

Cousteau, grandson of noted oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, heads the Washington, D. C.,environmental group EarthEcho International. He joined the Earthpark board about a year ago. Whalley designed the Eden Project.

Whalley said he was impressed by the views of Lake Red Rock and by the views surrounding the area.

“When I first saw this site at Pella, I was really taken by its natural beauty,” he said. Whalley hopes a building that would serve as a welcome center for Earthpark will open in 2009, a year before Earthpark itself opens.

Construction of Earthpark will begin in 2007. It is scheduled to open in 2010.

The design partner for Earthpark is Grimshaw Architects of London and New York. Grimshaw was the principal architect for the Eden Project in Cornwall, U.K., the only other environmental facility similar to what Earthpark will become. Eden generates approximately $250 Million in economic activity in Cornwall annually and has welcomed 8 million visitors in its first five years of operations. Eden is situated in an area approximately five hours from London.

Mike Sullivan writes for the Pella (Iowa) Chronicle.

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