Kings Island owners sign onto camping resort
$27MCamp Cedar about amile from park scheduled to open in the spring.
— The owners of the MASON
Kings Island Amusement Park have joined the partnership behind a $27 million outdoor resort intended to open in the spring near the amusement park in Mason.
The Camp Cedar resort will be located on 52 acres less than a mile from the front gates of the amusement park.
Camp Cedar is owned by Small Brothers and Terra Firma Associates.
In 2019, plans for what was then called Kings Mills Outdoor Resortwere reviewed byWarren County officials. The project then called for 182 sites for recreational vehicles, 114 one- and two-bedroom cabins and 38 3-foot diameter two-bedroom yurts, which are circular tents.
Staffindicated145homeswould have been permitted on the site, which is behind theMcDonald’s restaurant on the northeast corner of the interchange.
Cedar Fair Entertainment signed a partnership and licensing agreementwith Small Brothers and Terra Firma, according to a news release Tuesday.
Camp Cedar was described as a “hybrid of a resort and a camping destination.” The initial development nowincludes 73 cottages and 164RVspaces, with 100more
are hopeful the state capital plan will include some jail funding.”
Colbert said general fund revenue is expected to slide formultiple reasons: an estimated 5.6% decrease in sales tax, an 11% decrease in criminal justice charges for services, a 22.4% decrease in investmentincomeandlower local government funddistributions to the county from the state.
Sales taxes accounted for about $99.7 million in county revenue in 2019 and was estimated to bring in about $101.3million thisyear before the pandemic hit. Collections dipped 13.9% and 11.1% in the first two full months of the pandemic. Although reboundingsome, thecounty is bracing for sales taxes to fall about $5.7 million.
“We are far below where we thought we would land in 2020,” Colbert said about sales tax revenue.
Colbert said the county
will continue to fund Preschool Promise, workforce development programs and support community arts and culture but with no increase. The county’s Economic Development and Government Equity, or ED/ GE grants, normally offered in two rounds a year will move to a half-year program getting $1.25 million for 2021, according to the county.
John Parks, the county’s budget director, said elected officials and county departments
came together under difficult circumstances to collaborate on next year’s appropriations.
“This budgetwasn’twhat we were expecting to do a year ago,” he said.
MontgomeryCountyCommissioner Debbie Lieberman said the county’sOffice of Management and Budget “worked a miracle.”
“I’m not going to say this budget is painless,” she said. “It’s going to be a tough year next year, we knowthat and
hopefully there won’t be expenses we’re not counting on.”
Colbert said “everyone is drained” by the pandemic but that a vaccine may put the county’s finances on an upward trajectory.
“We brought the budget in really at a reduced level,” Colbert said. “I feel like ifwe can get through the first two quarters of the year, we can come out of this and be in a great place to do some great community projects.”