GOSHEN - Merlin Entertainment, which owns and operates Legoland Parks, hopes to appear before the Town Board in the coming days to begin the approval process for a theme park.

The company confirmed its choice Thursday, six months after it began exploring locations in Orange County.

“Merlin Entertainments plc has an interest in land within the Town of Goshen in Orange County, New York,” Julie Estrada, a spokeswoman for Legoland said in an email. “We would hope to bring an application to the Town Board for the re-zoning of the land in due course, as part of our aspiration to open a third LEGOLAND Park in North America.”

The site includes a cluster of vacant farm properties along Harriman Drive, off exit 125 on Route 17. The next Goshen Town Board meeting is in mid-June.

Legoland theme parks, based on the popular plastic construction toy, are located in California and Florida. International Legoland park locations are in Denmark, England, Germany, Malaysia and Dubai.

County officials have said a Legoland park would create about 1,000 jobs and would bring in taxes and opportunities for restaurants and small businesses. Capital investment in the project would run hundreds of millions of dollars, according to economic development experts.

Local businesses had a mix of reactions to the news of Legoland coming to their neighborhood. Some welcomed the growth that comes with an infusion of money in the local economy, while others expressed concerns about potential traffic problems.

“I’m looking forward to feeding all the workers. It’s going to increase business here, definitely,” said Margo Young, day manager at Goshen Plaza Diner. “When I saw it in the paper, it was like a home run.”

Brian Leentjes, who runs the popular Castle Fun Center in neighboring Chester, recently announced a $3 million renovation to attract more visitors to his amusement park. The Legoland news was causing him some anxiety, he admitted, but he hoped that his venue was different enough to continue attracting visitors as well as some of the same children who would go to Legoland.

“I’m hoping we complement each other. That would be my optimistic outlook,” said Leentjes.

Linda Mabie, owner of Linda’s Office Supplies in Goshen, said she doubted that Legoland customers would patronize local stores other than gas stations.

“Traffic would be a problem,” said Mabie. “I hope they look at all the ramifications.”

The president of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, Mark Kalish, said it was too early in the process to comment.

Elant at Goshen and Glen Arden, a nursing home and a retirement community that will be immediate neighbors of Legoland, offered a cautious welcome to the theme park. Donna Cornell, chairwoman of both companies, said she hoped officials would be sensitive to the impact on neighbors.

“We are all eager to hear more of the details,” she said in an email. “We truly expect the collective wisdom of all the parties involved to make this a winner for our region. “

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said he was cognizant of the concerns about traffic, all of which would be addressed during the permitting process. New York state would also help, he said, because smooth flow of traffic was not an option but a requirement for the project to work.

Neuhaus, who spent months wooing Legoland, said the family-friendly project is good for the local economy and will have a huge impact in a positive way.

“Do you want to see hundreds of high-density houses, or do you want to see a children-themed park,” he asked. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get this.”

heasley@th-record.com