Orange County ‘Over 90% Chance’ of Getting Legoland Theme Park

Orange County Executive, Steve Neuhaus, revealed that the Legoland theme park is almost certain to be built in Orange County and will be opening up sooner than you may think.

During a live St. Patrick's Day broadcast from Sweeney's in Walden, Neuhaus discussed some of the new businesses that Orange County is bringing into the area. Among them is an unannounced "recreational opportunity" in Walden that will be revealed in the coming weeks. The McKessen pharmaceutical facility currently being built in Newburgh is another example of the things Orange County is getting done. This week it was also announced that Camp Laguardia in Chester will finally become a commercial park after being left vacant since 2008.

Of course, the big project that everyone is excited about is the prospect of LEGO building a theme park in the area. The attraction is expected to bring in over 1,500 jobs and 2 million visitors a year. When asked about the progress of that project, Neuhaus said that Orange County is in the "pole position" to land the theme park.

Ramapo in Rockland County is another area up for consideration, but Neuhaus noted that at the very moment he was talking to us about the progress being made in Orange County, the FBI and district attorney were raiding offices in Ramapo over an investigation into the misuse of Federal funds. Neuhaus believes that might just be the nail in the coffin for a deal in Ramapo.

When pressed to put a percentage on the chance of Legoland opening in Orange County the County Executive said it was  in the "ninety-something percent" area. Neuhaus says that the county rolled out the red carpet for Lego executives who visited the area again last week.

An official announcement will be made in the next month or so and Neuhaus believes that the theme park will open by 2019. He credits Orange County's ability to get quick approvals and help Legoland meet that deadline as a reason the project is expected to be awarded here.

Neuhaus says that he will make the announcement live on 101.5 WPDH from a local elementary school when it finally becomes official. Stay tuned for the big news.