By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal
If residents of Garden Grove were wondering what they should be feeling, they might want to start feeling excited.
According to Mayor Bill Dalton’s “State of the City” address at the Embassy Suites hotel on Tuesday afternoon, the past year has been not only exciting, but full of change and the future looks to hold growth.
The annual luncheon serves as a launching point for city officials, workers, businesses and organizations who all come to see the city in review for the last year. They also come to get an idea of where Garden Grove wants to be in the year to come.
The lunch took on a note of happy hopefulness as Dalton asked city, school, fire, police and fire workers and local business people to consider what lay behind and in front of the city.
The big talking points that Dalton outlined in a video that covered the last year are the potential large developments that will be coming to Garden Grove.
“That wolf howl [after sounds effect] is good,” said Dalton, in reference to the future Great Wolf Lodge water park hotel that is slated to start development once the economy picks up. The project, slated for land on Harbor Boulevard north of Garden Grove Boulevard, could be a catalyst to the city’s plans to develop Harbor into “International West,” a thoroughfare lined with glittering attractions, dining and commerce.
Dalton said that not only would the lodge bring more tax revenue to Garden Grove, it would bring permanent jobs.
The mayor also spoke about the “Skate Spot” at Garden Grove Park. After he spoke about how much fun it was to have brought something for the younger public to use. In the video,“Dalton” performed 12 skateboarding tricks, with the aid of a stunt double, of course.
“A lot of this is fun, but a lot of this is business,” said Dalton, “ We’re proud of what we’re accomplishing here.”
