Proposed $40M western theme park could energize Deadwood and Black Hills economy

[TexasTowelie]

6. Well, considering that one of the other options was for a golf course.

Rensch said the partnership had explored purchase of two possible sites for the theme park, including a parcel his company owns off U.S. Highway 85 near The Lodge at Deadwood, and a tract in Whitewood Canyon where actor Kevin Costner had intended to build a championship golf course linked to his ill-fated Dunbar Resort.

I suspect that first piece of property was already zoned as commercial property since it is on highway frontage. The second idea didn't pan out so if the residents want it there and the partnership can come up with the capital and marketing strategy to promote it let them. There will always be other developers there to construct residential property if the project succeeds. I doubt that many of the people there will consider it to be a commercial blitzkrieg except for the people that never want anything to change.

Trying to compare two projects a thousand miles away and more than likely of a different scale of development probably isn't a worthwhile endeavor. There are already plenty of historical attractions in the area around Williamsburg while there is nothing similar in that area of South Dakota.