A third party has conducted a financial forecast study into the Bison World theme park that is set to be constructed in Jamestown, North Dakota and has approved that it will be a successful economic development and diversification project in the vicinity. The project calls for the construction of an entertainment park and a bison-themed cultural park adjacent to the I-94 on land that is owned by the state hospital and will cost around US$72.5 million. Construction is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2022 and open by April 2024, if all the funding and financing falls into place as planned.
Also Read: Dakota Commerce Center begins construction in Northern Fargo
The finance report done by Eide Bailly LLP reported attendance of around 197,300 people within the first year of operation and a growing number of up to 259,500 people by 2028. The first-year figure is actually less than the number of people who have visited the World’s Largest Buffalo attraction and Frontier Village in recent years. The financial report also calculated profitability for what it termed a “low market share” of 168,300 people and a “high market share” of 233,700 visitors in the first year.
According to the report, all three analyses return a net income to the Bison World theme park even in its first year of operation ranging from US$2 million under the low market share and US$2.7 million under the high market share. The project would return profits to the Legacy Fund as an investor in Bison World. The state would also collect about 5% sales tax on tickets, food, and merchandise amounting to around US$2.5 million, and US$750,000 per year in personal income tax collected from employees of the park.
