Weather-related delays prove costly to Honey Creek resort

Tag : Natural Honey
Weather-related delays prove costly to Honey Creek resort By JULI PROBASCO-SOWERS
jprobasco@dmreg.com
Posted at 04:05 on 07/11/2008
A three-week delay in the opening weekend of the $60 million HoneyCreek Resort State Park at Rathbun Lake means more than $108,000 inlost revenue, the Natural Resource Commission learned Thursday.
Park officials planned on making that money during the resort'sfirst two weeks. The park was scheduled to open Aug. 29, but that'sbeen delayed to Sept. 19 because of weather-related constructionissues.
Patrons had reserved about 50 rooms for the now-postponed openingweekend, said Liz Christiansen, deputy director of the IowaDepartment of Natural Resources and the Honey Creek projectmanager.

The lost revenue includes the money that would have come from aPheasants Forever event that was moved to Living History Farms inUrbandale.

The event, set for Sept. 6-7, was the first major booking for theAppanoose County resort.

"With the construction delays, we just won't be ready for that manypeople," Christiansen said.

The resort includes a 105-room lodge, a restaurant, an indoor waterpark, an 18-hole golf course, a convention center and trails.

Cabins, shelters, a beach and an activity center also are plannedfor the park but not yet constructed.

"Flooding delayed the delivery of construction materials, and wetweather pushed back construction at the site," Christiansen said."That area of the state received 12 inches of rain in the last 12days. Seven and one-half of those inches fell in 2days."

The Pheasants Forever event had the potential to draw more than2,000 visitors, she said.

"We couldn't have kids and people running around where there wasconstruction going on," Christiansen said. "What we lose by nothaving it at Honey Creek is a great lake, potential fishing, theoutdoors atmosphere, the southern Iowa atmosphere and the camping."

The family-focused event will include entertainment for sportsmen,sportsmen's spouses and children, from dogs, art and guns to foodand habitat tours, said Dave Van Waus, a regional Pheasants Foreverbiologist in Iowa. Honey Creek would have been a great place forthe event, he said.

Marketing to bring visitors and events to Honey Creek has beenstrong Christiansen said. She said she thought the lost revenuecould be made up through sales and promotion.