ATLANTA (May 12, 2014) | Sen. Jeff Mullis (R – Chickamauga) is proud to announce that as of April 18, 2014, the South’s favorite family amusement park – Lake Winnepesaukah of Rossville – is the first tourism destination approved for a tax incentive under the Georgia Tourism Development Act. With the addition of their $5 million new water park expansion, SOAK YA, Lake Winnepesaukah is helping Georgia continue to both draw new visitors and keep familiar ones returning. The ten year agreement involves a partial sales tax refund for Lake Winnepesaukah on the increased revenues due to the addition of SOAK YA Water Park in 2013.
“With the SOAK YA waterpark expansion and Lake Winnepesaukah’s close proximity to the Georgia -Tennessee border, this project will provide increased leisure opportunities for families everywhere, while simultaneously increasing employment opportunities and economic benefits for the region and the state of Georgia for years to come,” said Brian Williamson, Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
“We’re very appreciative of Sen. Mullis’s work with Joint Development Authority and his encouragement to apply for this tax incentive,” said Tennyson Dickinson of Lake Winnepesaukah. “This has been supported by the Catoosa County Commissioners, Chairman Keith Greene, and spearheaded by Commissioner Jeff Long. We’ve been working on meeting the criteria of this bill since the passage of the original House Bill 234 in 2011.”
The tax incentive agreement is with the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (Deputy Commissioner Kevin Langston), Georgia Department of Community Affairs (Commissioner Gretchen Corbin), Georgia Department of Revenue (Commissioner Douglas J. MacGinnitie) and Georgia Department of Economic Development (Commissioner Chris Carr).
“Lake Winnepesaukah has a hard to say – and even harder to spell – name,” said Dickinson, “but through the years that name has become synonymous with family fun in our region. With the Soak Ya Water Park addition, we’ll be keeping it that way.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2014
CONTACT
Jennifer Yarber, Director
jennifer.yarber@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028