MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WHNT) – Wednesday’s announcement by DreamVision may have made the idea of the world’s largest theme park in Alabama sound a little more concrete.
However, both leaders in the Shoals and leaders from the state have unanswered questions.
CEO of Provident Global Capital, LLC. Bryan Robinson announced they’ve secured 3.5 billion dollars in funding for the project. But, we have yet to learn where it’s coming from. We did learn the company registered with the state of Alabama on Feb. 3. According to GoDaddy.com records, that’s also when they decided to create an official website.
“We have chosen the location, and will share the details in an upcoming press announcement, including site specifics,” said DreamVision CEO Rick Silanskas.
Amongst the hype and the hope, there’s still skepticism surrounding the proposed DreamVision SoundScape theme park destination in the Shoals. Aside from where the billions of dollars are coming from, why is there such a lack of communication? Director of the Alabama Tourism Board Lee Sentell said the board was never even contacted about making the Alabama Hall of Fame a part of the park.
Later, Chairman of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board of Directors Bill Newton released the following statement: “The Alabama Music Hall of Fame has not been engaged in moving our facility to DreamVision in Muscle Shoals, however the opportunity that this brings would be one that our board would be excited to consider.”
There was also no federal budget announced this year that would cover the necessary infrastructure upgrades. There’s no major highway system in the Shoals.
“We will have a lot of problems trying to bring our system up to accommodate the volume of traffic,” said Tuscumbia Mayor Bill Shoemaker. “We folks here in Alabama are going to have to pay for part of what it’s going to cost to maintain and build our new roads.”
Representative Lynn Greer said they will also have to address an international airport.
There’s much more to work out, but Mayor Shoemaker said after Wednesday’s announcement, there’s a little more confidence in the project.
“That atmosphere that they brought here today tells me we better buckle our boots tight because we’ve got a long ride,” he said.
When it comes to funding, the company said it’s covered completely by private funds. Plus, the state doesn’t typically offer incentives to restaurants or hotels. But they’re willing to cooperate if DreamVision SoundScape does become a reality.
“If they come in here, we’ll work with them and try to get them incentives from the state of Alabama,” Greer said.
Although the company is waiting to announce the property where it’s proposing to build the park, leaders in the Shoals are pretty confident it will be TVA property.
Now, they’re eager to get started.
