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Earthpark executive director Dave Oman says Pella beat out the other finalist, Riverside, on most issues. The Pella location is bigger. The site will encompass the largest lake in the state, Red Rock Reservoir. Oman says the development group in Pella has a clearer plan to raise funds, and there is no casino across the street.

So that leaves Riverside wondering what if? The community needs to move on, but what will happen is anyone's guess. The people running the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort had big plans to develop around Earthpark. The idea was to turn Highway 22 into a major tourist destination. Now that plan has to be scrapped, and the community needs a new one.

Developers could already see it. Across the street from the state's newest casino the plan called for a world class project complete with indoor rain forest and 600,000-gallon fresh water aquarium. The dream was to build a water park, amphitheater and hotel around Earthpark. But the dream will not become a reality.

Casino official Glenn Patton said, “Very disappointed. We thought we had a great offer on the table for the Earthpark board of directors."

Now casino officials have to find a new dream for the 100 acres of land they just bought.

Patton said, “We have to step back and re-evaluate. Earthpark was going to be our anchor."

The casino staff might be starting from scratch, but the city itself is not. Mayor Bill Poch says there is a lot of other development in the works, and Oman recognized that.

He said, “Riverside is poised for a lot of interesting and good development and growth in the years ahead."

If that growth had already happened, Riverside might have been able to claim Earthpark. But the mayor of the small town realizes his community was at a distinct size disadvantage.

Poch said, “Riverside doesn't have the staff even Pella does so we were going about it a little slower."

It turns out time is of the essence. After plodding along for close to a decade switching cities, project leaders expect to start construction in 2007. The Earthpark website says it will open on March 20, 2010, Earth Day.

As for the casino, it turned out to be a negative for Earthpark even though it was originally a positive. Patton called the change of heart hypocritical.