Great Wolf Lodge opens in Webster From the cover
The impact
In a nutshell
City and lodge officials touted the positive impact Great Wolf Lodge could have on businesses and communities surrounding it. “Businesses looking to expand in Houston rec- ognize the incredible [Great Wolf Lodge] market and have shown tremendous interest in develop- ing in Webster,” Vela said. “The city is confident that the lodge will thrive and contribute positively to Webster’s growth.” Barbara Cutsinger, marketing manager for the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, or BAHEP, said it also fills a need as there aren’t many water parks in the area. It will also be one of the few hotels outside of downtown Houston with enough space for conventions. “I think we’ll see more complimentary activities
pop up around the region,” Cutsinger said. “The visitors will want to see what else our region has to offer. Other cities will want to take advantage of the captive audience that [Great Wolf Lodge] brings.” However, officials could not provide data show- ing projections of how Great Wolf Lodge might affect the area long term. Meanwhile, for cities outside Webster like League city, the resort is expected to have a “positive impact” and possibly draw people into town, said Scott Livingston, League City director of economic development. In addition to adding a new amenity to the area, some of the money coming in to the resort from visitors—and new jobs—could also find its way into League City, Livingston said.
Great Wolf Lodge in Webster opened three months earlier than expected. The resort is 92,000 square feet and has 500 rooms, more than a dozen water slides and a 61,000-square-foot entertainment center. Officials hope it could attract families not only in the Greater Houston area, but from cities several hours out. Katie Vela, marketing and tourism specialist for Webster, called the resort a “landmark project” that city officials hope will be a “tourism magnet.” In addition to the resort bringing in families, Vela said city officials are optimistic it will boost other business as well. Meanwhile, the resort opening means the incentive deal Webster inked with Great Wolf Lodge in 2021 begins. The deal includes millions in grants to the resort and a share of tax revenue over two decades.
The context
Great Wolf Lodge’s impact
Grapevine’s sales tax revenue jumped by more than 23% in the year after its Great Wolf Lodge opened in 2007 compared to the previous year, according to sales tax data provided by the Texas Comptroller’s Office. However, tax revenue stayed relatively stagnant in the years after, which coincided with the Great Recession. In addition, the resort has drawn nearly 650,000 total visitors dating back to January 2022, according to city data. Many of those visitors have also gone to nearby attractions, such as Grapevine Mills Mall, which drew in 300,000 of those visitors. “[The resort]’s been an enormous draw for people everywhere,” Quintanilla said. “We’re very pleased having them in our city.”
Grapevine sales tax revenue before and after Great Wolf Lodge opened Before After
increase in economic foot traffic annually for the Bay Area 10%-25% in property tax revenue for Webster and Harris County* $1M+
Opened in December
$40M
$30M
jobs created by the resort 600+
$20M
$10M
investment in area by Great Wolf Resorts $200M
$0M
*PROJECTED SOURCES: CITY OF WEBSTER, FLYWAY TEXAS, GREAT WOLF LODGE, HARRIS COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: TEXAS COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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