Ken Ham Says Life-Size Noah's Ark on Track to Open in 2016, Despite 'Naysayers, False Information'
Creation Museum CEO and President Ken Ham has posted an update on the construction work for the life-size Noah's Ark project that's being built in Williamstown, Kentucky, and said that despite "naysayers" and "enormous amount of false information," it is on schedule to be completed by 2016.
"Despite all the naysayers, and the enormous amount of false information certain people and organizations have spread about this project — it is moving ahead nicely toward the opening in 2016. We just praise the Lord for this," Ham said in a Facebook message on Thursday.
The message also linked to a number of photos from the construction site that show the different stages of the project, as well as a video from the Ark Encounter's staff meeting, which was led by Ham.
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Ham has spoken out against the state of Kentucky's conditions for tax breaks imposed upon the project, such as prohibiting religious preference in hiring workers.
The Creation Museum president has clarified that The Ark Encounter has never asked the state for money, but had reapplied for a possible refund of sales tax.
"The state's new conditions are clearly illegal. We can cite both federal and state laws that permit religious preference in hiring, like the 1964 Civil Rights Act. That's why atheist groups can and do discriminate in their hiring," Ham said back in December.
He explained further about the tax rebate: "If the Ark would see excellent attendance, and some of the sales tax paid by guests who were voluntarily visiting could be refunded, up to a maximum. It's actually an excellent incentive offered to any tourist attraction thinking of locating in Kentucky."
A previous update from February showed that trucks have started pouring in concrete at the site, with the project taking its next step forward.
The Ark Encounter website, which is giving people the opportunity to help out financially in building the Ark, provides further updates and photos of the project.
In his Facebook message, Ham added that Creation Museum attendance "is only going to increase once the Ark is opened. In fact, the latest research indicates that when the Ark is operational, attendance at the Creation Museum will increase about 400,000 people a year."
