News
East Polk Committee of 100 Goes to London
Published: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Polk Delegation On Way to Britain to Visit Legoland
Polk officials, business executives to visit Legoland Windsor.
LAKELAND | Polk County officials and business executives are on their way to the United Kingdom for a visit to Legoland Windsor.
Participants will get a close-up look at the theme park's operations as Legoland Florida begins to take shape at the former site of Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven.
Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments Group acquired the shuttered Gardens in January and is redeveloping the attraction.
The trip, which begins today and continues through Sunday "is to say thank you for the major investment and opportunity in our county," said Tom Patton, director of the Central Florida Development Council.
"Orlando won with Disney. We're going to win with Legoland," he said. "I think that's what prompted a lot of people to go see what they're all about."
The county will spend about $17,500 to send Patton and two other officials on the trip: Mark Jackson, director of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, and Fay Downing, marketing manager for the tourism and sports agency.
County Commissioner Bob English will also attend, with the county spending about $2,000 for the trip.
Patton and Jackson left early to meet with Merlin officials and will stay after the Windsor trip to visit Legoland Billund in Denmark and the headquarters of Lego Group, also based in Billund.
Approximately 40 representatives from Polk businesses and other organizations will join county officials in Windsor. Non-county attendees will pay their own way, but some costs are covered by sponsorships from private firms, Patton said.
Participating are: Best Western Admiral's Inn; Buzz Tarver State Farm Insurance; city of Winter Haven; Clark/Nikdel/Powell; Cromer International Printing; East Polk Committee of 100; Envisors; Fantasy of Flight; Florida Southern College; Haines City Chamber of Commerce; Haines City Economic Development Council; Lakeland Convention and Visitors Bureau; Play It Again Sports; Polk Vision; Small Business Development Center; Southern Investments Realty; Tampa Electric; The Ledger; The Ruthvens Inc.; University of South Florida Polytechnic; and the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce.
A delegation of Winter Haven city and economic development officials visited Legoland California in Carlsbad on April 8 and 9.
"I think my first reaction to the park was how much it looked like Cypress Gardens," Bob Gernert, director of the Winter Haven chamber, was quoted as saying recently.
The England-based Merlin, the world's second-largest owner of tourist attractions, currently operates four Legoland parks - three in Europe and one in California.
While Merlin has declined to say how much it paid for Cypress Gardens, the purchase price appears to be at least $22.3 million, based on the documentary stamp tax on a transfer deed dated Jan. 7, 2010, and recorded with the Clerk of the Courts in Bartow.
Jackson, of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, said Merlin officials expect to open Legoland Florida in late fall 2011.
[ Kyle Kennedy can be reached at kyle.kennedy@theledger.com or 863-802-7584.]