Gary, Indiana is moving forward with plans to build a museum dedicated to native son Michael Jackson and his family.
Despite funding issues, the Jackson Museum Performing Arts Center is growing --- at least on paper.
Developers now want to add an amusement park designed to look like Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and a golf course to a city owned 10-acre plot of land where the museum is supposed to go, according to the Northwest Indiana Times.
The idea for the center has been batted around ever since the MJ died on June 25, but its never been clear the project would come to fruition. From the start funding issues besieged the museum project, which had an estimated price tag of up to $30 million before the amusement park and golf course were added to plans.
Gary city council members have indicated support for the plan, but say they have yet to see any specifics. At least one council member doubts a museum, theme park and golf course could fit on a 10-acre plot.
"We have heard absolutely nothing about it," Councilwoman Marilyn Krusas told the Northwest Indiana Times. "I know I certainly haven't. At this point, I think the council and the citizenry need to know a lot more information -- like who's going to finance it and who's going to pay for it -- before we start giving land away."
That’s not stopping principals from moving forward with the project.
Odie Anderson, the listed agent for the Jackson Museum Performing Arts Center Corp., said the his company will break ground on the Jackson museum and theme park sometime in 2010.
Anderson said the 2010 groundbreaking will be “tied to a special Jackson event,” but declined to say what that was.
