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Splish, splash -- times 4

Coyote Falls confirms plans to open area's fourth indoor waterpark.

By TOM JACKSON
tomjackson@sanduskyregister.com

PERKINS TWP. - An Omaha, Neb., developer said Friday he plans to begin construction next year on the Sandusky area's fourth big indoor waterpark, the Coyote Falls Lodge, along U.S. 250 in Perkins Township.

Coyote Falls will have a 400,000-square-foot building, about 350 hotel rooms and feature a 65,000-square-foot indoor waterpark.

The waterpark is a bit smaller than Kalahari but larger than Great Wolf Lodge, said Mike Day, president of Dial Family Resorts.

Coyote Falls likely would generate 250-275 jobs, he said.

The company has an option to purchase land located on the west side of U.S. 250 from Larry Holkenborg.

The site is across the street and a little north of Kalahari, near with Ohio 2.

Dial Family Resorts plans to purchase 48 acres.

The resort will be built on 20 acres, leaving room for further expansion, Day said.

Day said he plans to close on the purchase of the land in August or September and begin drawing up plans immediately for the new waterpark. He said he plans to begin construction in the spring and that the waterpark will open in spring 2008 at the latest.

"This is our first indoor waterpark resort," Day said.

Dial Family Resorts is the newest component of the Dial Companies Inc. of Omaha, Day said.

"We started working on the concept about three years ago," he said.

Day said Dial was attracted to join Sandusky's waterpark scene by the fact that there are 20 million people within a three-hour drive of the area.

"Your demographics are excellent," he said.

Mark Litten, executive director of Greater Erie County Marketing Group Inc., said earlier this week that obtaining the necessary financing has been an issue in moving Coyote Falls forward.

Day, who declined to give a cost estimate for the project, said that Dial is "right on schedule" for obtaining financing.

Day said he plans to travel to Sandusky in about two weeks.

Dial Family Resorts has been working with a local real estate developer, Ed Hoty, the owner of Edmond Hoty Real Estate.

"It's moving forward. We're working diligently on it, and we're getting close," Hoty said when asked about the project a few days ago. "That's all I can tell you right now."

If the Coyote Falls project is completed as Day envisions, it would become the fourth big indoor waterpark to open in the Sandusky area.

The development of Sandusky as an indoor waterpark area began in 2001, when Great Wolf Lodge opened at 4600 Milan Road. It has 271 family suites and a 42,000-square-foot entertainment area.

Cedar Fair, the owner of Cedar Point, opened Castaway Bay in November. Kalahari opened May 20.

The Dial Companies Corp. is a group of companies based in Omaha which went into business in 1959 as Dial Realty. The Dial Companies has developed a wide variety of property in much of the country, including shopping centers, apartment complexes, retirement communities, warehouses, hotels and office buildings.

"We have properties in about 20 states," Day said.

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