Deal to bring Great Wolf Lodge to El Paso falls apart due to virus pandemic

EL PASO, Texas -- A deal to bring a Great Wolf Resorts lodge to El Paso has fallen apart due to the coronavirus pandemic, city officials announced Friday.

The development plans for the 350-guest room resort in northwest El Paso are being dropped due the national downturn in the economy following the virus outbreak, said city economic development director Jessica Herrera.

The Great Wolf Lodge, including a world-class indoor water park and convention facility, was to be built at Interstate 10 and Paso Del Norte. Officials had hoped to capitalize on the 250,000 vehicles a day that pass by the area.

The city had hoped to open the lodge doors sometime in 2021 and late last year approved a huge incentive deal to move the project forward.

City leaders had touted the project as one that would inject up to $680 million a year into the local economy and create hundreds of jobs.

Great Wolf officials notified the city on Friday that they were terminating the agreement to build the resort hotel here, Herrera indicated.

Herrara said the company had not received any incentive monies to date, so no funds reimbursement was owed to the city as a result of the deal's termination.

The city retains ownership of the land where the lodge was to be built.