Published: September 03, 2008 08:00 pm      

Axiom changes theme park plan

GRAYLING -- Would-be developers of a theme park in Crawford County want to alter their plans and buy a smaller chunk of state-owned forest at a lower price tag.

Axiom Entertainment, of Rochester, initially wanted nearly 1,700 acres for the Grayling Township project, but now wants to trim the purchase to 1,433 acres. The price tag also dropped from $5.2 million to $4.4 million.

State officials recently gave Axiom until February to prove they have $161 million needed to buy the land and build the park, just south of Grayling near Interstate 75. The company will have nine months after that to gain all required state and federal permits.

The land sale is a discussion item on the agenda for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting on Sept. 11 in Lansing.