The proposed Gaylord hotel project is unequivocally the best fit for state tourism funds, Aurora lawmakers and economic development officials agree.

State economic development leaders are slated to hear public comments about all six projects on the line for state funding on April 23, but Aurora officials say none of those measure up to the plan for the Gaylord Hotel and Conference Center.

“Gaylord is a slam dunk,” said Wendy Mitchell, president of the Aurora Economic Development Council.

According to HVS Consulting & Valuation Services, the 1,500-room hotel is estimated to bring 1,500 jobs to Aurora and about $284 million in new revenues per year to Aurora, while Denver stands to earn about $61 million in revenues per year.

And, according to the state’s third party economist, the Gaylord hotel is the only project that qualifies for RTA funding because of its strict guidelines, said Mitchell.

“It’s really far and above the best applicant,” she said.

The total cost of the Western-themed hotel and conference center slated to create about 1,500 jobs is more than $800 million.

Aurora has agreed to give up to $300 million worth of tax incentives to Gaylord but the project is still contingent on about $85 million worth of incentives from the state’s Regional Tourism Act.

Only two of the six projects vying for money can receive funds of a combined $50 million per year.

The nine-member board of the Colorado Economic Development Commission will make its final decision on which project to award funding to on May 18.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said the 1,500-room hotel project is expected to bring almost 250,000 new tourist visitors to the state each year.

“In addition, the construction-related job numbers are huge compared to the other projects,” he said.

He feels confident that Gaylord will score state tourism incentives.

“The goal (of the Regional Tourism Act) is to bring tourists in from out of state, to encourage ongoing tourism in Colorado and to create jobs, and this project matches all three perfectly,” he said.

Hogan said he toured the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, D.C. and said he’d never seen anything like it. He was impressed with the facility’s cleanliness and how friendly the employees were. He said significant development had occurred around the hotel since it was built.

Councilman Bob Roth, who also visited the hotel, said there was a stretch of land about six blocks by six blocks that was pure, empty field before the hotel came along.

“There was nothing there but rabbits,” Roth said.

Now, there are three new hotels around the area, as well as retailers and upscale town houses, he said.

Hogan said he’s confident that Gaylord can build a similar project and spur more development in the empty field near Denver International Airport in Aurora.

“Yes, we’ve given an incentive to Gaylord but we won’t be giving an incentive to the rest of (the development), it’ll just come here naturally,” he said.

Other cities and counties vying for state funding for their projects are:

Pueblo wants to build a convention center and exhibit hall, an extended Historic Arkansas Riverwalk channel, a regional aquatic facility and indoor water park. The project hopes to attract more than $50 million in private development, including a movie theater, hotel and moderate income residential housing, according to Pueblo’s RTA application. If the project is approved, it’s estimated to generate about $23.5 million worth of state sales tax revenue, which would be retained for the development of the project and related infrastructure. It would generate about 280 construction jobs and about 2,400 permanent jobs.

Glendale would like to construct an outdoor riverwalk. It would include a 4,000-seat, 40,000-square foot outside-air sloped amphitheater on Cherry Creek, and is expected to boost the Denver and Colorado economy by bringing in sales tax dollars from new, out-of-town visitors, according to Glendale’s financial analysis. During the first two years of construction, the number of indirect and induced jobs in the state will amount to about 3,400. The project is estimated to bring about 1,850 full-time jobs to the state by year nine of its existence, and it would also bring in an extra $55 million in annual revenue for the state, according to the analysis.

The town of Estes Park plans to use the state funds to revamp its Elkhorn Lodge and build a year-round adventure park. The Lodge would be renovated into a 24-room hotel with grand lobby, restaurant and bar, and banquet facilities maintaining the historic footprint of the original building design, according to The Elkhorn Project’s website.

The money would also be used to develop the 40-acre mountainside next to Old Man Mountain into a ski resort that will offer hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and zip lines in the summer. A Cultural Heritage Museum and Performing Arts Center will also be constructed. The project would cost about $50 million, and once complete, is estimated to attract about 503,900 visitors. About 260 new jobs would be created.

If Douglas County receives state tourism incentives, it would use the money to build a Colorado Sports and Prehistoric Park project. The archaeological preserve, would feature bones of about 30 mammoths that lived in the county more than 9,000 years ago, according to the county’s RTA application. The archaeological preserve is expected to attract about 260,000 visitors each year. And the Sports Village is likely to attract over 930,000 visitors each year, according to the application.

The construction cost of the 38,000-square-foot archaeological preserve is about $10.7 million. The construction cost of the 500,000-square-foot Sports Village is projected to be about $76.1 million. The project will generate additional retail sales tax revenue for Douglas County of $1.2 million each year upon project build-out, according to the RTA application.

Montrose County wants to score state funding to help create about 140 various tourist attractions and commercial projects. The projects include: improvements to existing attractions, trails and campgrounds and RV parks. The county hopes to become a major tourist destination with the potential to generate between $98 million and $226 million in state sales tax revenues from new tourist-based economic activity within the next 30 to 40 years, according to the county’s RTA application. The county, if it were to become a developed tourist destination, would bring more than 2 million out-of-state visitors, according to the application.