By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Legislature has approved spending six million dollars on the Honey Creek Resort in southern Iowa. The state-owned resort, which opened in 2008, has a hotel and dozens of cabins, an indoor waterpark and a golf course.

Republican Representative Jacob Bossman of Sioux City said state officials who signed an agreement with another company to manage the facility agreed to finance deferred maintenance projects. “It was a situation we found ourselves in that wasn’t ideal, but it a state-owned facility,” Bossman said. “It’s fallen into disrepair.”

The roof and parts of the foundation of the main lodge, where the hotel and indoor water park are located, need to be fixed. Some of the hotel rooms and cabins will be updated.

“Not super happy about that, but that is an obligation the State of Iowa has…to get Honey Creek back up to standards and make is an operational facility again,” Bossman said.

Republican Representative Austin Harris is from Moulton, which is not far from the resort. He said the new management company has local ties.

“It’s a great asset to the people of Appanoose County and southern Iowa,” Harris said. “It’s had a rough go over the past decade or so, but I think with the new management that we’ve got in there. They’re from the area. They have the local support. Community leaders, business owners, the local community college is really stepping up to make this thing work this time…A lot of folks are really excited — as if it was a brand new resort — about what the opportunities will be in the future.”

Achieva Enterprises took over management of the facility last month. The company’s founders own land in Appanoose County and plan to keep Honey Creek open year round. The state-owned facility has struggled financially since it opened 15 years ago and the state has periodically tried to sell the property, which sits on the shore of Lake Rathbun.