WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The West Des Moines City Council approved millions of dollars in tax incentives to help start construction on the Grand Experience project on the southside of the city.

What is now a large field near the MidAmerican Energy Rec Plex could soon be the site of the Grand Experience — a multi-million dollar project consisting of an indoor waterpark, hotel, convention center, retail space and more.

On Monday night the council approved over $90 million in tax incentives for the project’s developer, WDM Entertainment, to help jumpstart construction.

Council members said during the meeting that they approved the incentives because the development would greatly benefit the city by increasing revenue and tourism.

“This waterpark is going to be two times the size of the Great Wolf Lodge at minimum, and we’ve got that written into the development agreement,” Russ Trimble, the mayor of West Des Moines said. “The conference center is going to be 34,000 square feet at minimum, which is the same the same size as The Meadows Convention Center in Altoona. So, it’s going to be a phenomenal facility, there’s going to be restaurants, possibly a brewery, there’s going to be more retail space, more commercial space, drive-throughs, it’s really going to be a phenomenal development when done.”

No date has been released for when construction on the project will begin.

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