Developers planning a 500-acre family theme park with life sized dinosaurs north of Houston say they are in discussions to close on a new plot of land twice the size of the original plot.

Los Angeles-based Contour development won't confirm exactly where the new site for the famed EarthQuest park is until the deal is finalized, but they do pinpoint East Montgomery County as the basic area.

"We are working like crazy to get all the little pieces in place," said Contour President Chris Brown. "This site is more than twice the size of the one we had before."

Brown said the previous deal for land alongside U.S. 59 at New Caney fell through because too many restrictions were placed on investors who want to build a raft of supporting infrastructure in the form of hotels and other services for potential visitors.

"The investors want freedom to develop all around the park, which would be even more profitable than the park itself," said Brown.

The EarthQuest team see the U.S. 59 corridor as the "last spoke" out of Houston left un-developed and say their Disney-esque theme park would fill a void on the Texas landscape.

"There are lots of theme parks but a fully developed family-based theme park does not exist," Brown said.

The project, which can now be seen in elaborate renderings of eco-friendly water parks, rides and educational areas, has been in the works since 2007.

It would be seven times larger than AstroWorld, with 50 attractions that stress environmental stewardship including a 12-acre water park made from a retreating glacier to an animal park that includes threatened species and a ride through a land with a fiery volcano and life-sized dinosaurs.

Contour said it hopes to close the deal on the new site in May this year.