Army Ponders Amusement Venue, Hotel At Ft. Belvoir

The spokesman would not comment specifically on the Universal City proposal but said, "No special consideration is or will be given to any individual or company."

Fort Belvoir was chosen as the site for the Army museum in October 2001 over a location in Carlisle, Pa. The spokesman would not discuss plans for the museum, saying, "Plans are in the development stages and being reevaluated by the Army and are not ready for release."

A source familiar with the museum development process said the Army is considering the public-private partnership for the museum as a way to fund the project. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to jeopardize his role in the project, said the Army did not solicit the Universal City proposal.

"I wouldn't say it was still on the table," the source said. "I would say the Army received it and said: 'Noted.' Now they are going to do a request for information and see if there is something that is compatible for the museum." The source said the Army will probably ask for other proposals, not necessarily theme parks. "I think they will start from scratch."

He added: "Whatever solution the Army picks, not everybody is going to be happy. There is going to be unhappiness in some quarters somewhere."

Officials with Universal City Property Management in Orlando did not respond to two phone messages. They told the Army that their concept would attract 3 million visitors a year, more than Hersheypark in Pennsylvania or Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.

Supervisor Gerald W. Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), who was instrumental in persuading the Army to choose Fort Belvoir for the museum, said the Engineer Proving Ground is "the wrong place to put it."

He said the original idea of putting the museum near the post's main gate would be better for traffic flow and would place it in closer proximity to other tourist attractions, including Mount Vernon.

In 1994, the Walt Disney Co. pulled the plug on a theme park near Haymarket and the Manassas battlefield after running into a groundswell of local, national and international criticism. Disney officials estimated that the park would have drawn about 6 million visitors a year.

Staff writer Alec MacGillis contributed to this report.