Official Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jimmy Forbis, City Administrator
Jimmy.forbis@cityofgilroy.org
DATE: 12/21/20
Gilroy Recreation-Based Tourism Development Opportunity
Friday, December 20, 2020 (Gilroy, CA): The City of Gilroy requests proposals to engage in a public-private partnership with a development team to create a reactional tourism-based project under a long-term ground-lease on 536 acres of City-owned property. The City seeks economically productive, inspiring, and thoughtful responses that best express the City’s objective to create a development that will establish Gilroy as the top family-oriented outdoor recreation destination in the San Francisco Bay Area and nearby Central Coast.
The 536-acre project site is located at the edge of Gilroy at the Hecker Pass Highway, a gateway to Highway 1 and the Monterey Bay. Currently, Gilroy Gardens, operated and managed by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, runs a family-oriented theme park on approximately 50 acres of the Project Site. There is an additional approximately 100 acres of unused or underutilized space at the base of a sizable hillside property.
The remainder of the property comprises hillside open space that the City desires will be proposed for recreational and outdoor uses including down-hill biking, horseback riding, hiking, ziplining, or other adventure activities. The City invites development proposals that will make use of all 536 acres of the property.
Located at the crossroads of the Bay Area, California’s Central Coast, and Central Valley, Gilroy is uniquely positioned to draw thousands of regional visitors. Further, the Project site is located within 40 miles of the San Jose International Airport, and within 70 miles of the San Francisco and Oakland International Airports. Gilroy’s proximity to three major international airports can draw additional domestic and foreign visitors. Furthermore, Gilroy is located near international cities and world-class destinations, including Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and other regional outdoor attractions, including Henry Coe State Park and Pinnacles National Monument.
To expand on its existing recreational assets, the City seeks development proposals that will establish Gilroy as a premier recreational and outdoor adventure destination, driving overnight stays in Gilroy to expand the tourism ecosystem established in the Bay Area and Central Coast. The City invites interested parties to view the City’s Request for Proposals for additional information.
https://www.cityofgilroy.org/bids.aspx?bidID=79
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