Knott’s Agrees in Principle to Develop Thrill Park at Huge Minneapolis Mall : TOURISM/LEISURE TIME

Knott’s Berry Farm has reached an agreement in principle to develop the amusement park portion of what will be the world’s largest retail and entertainment complex in a suburb of Minneapolis.

The agreement was formally announced Wednesday in Las Vegas by Indianapolis-based Melvin Simon & Associates, the nation’s second-largest developer. Brochures describing the 78-acre project--called Mall of America--were distributed to retailers attending the annual meeting of the International Council of Shopping Centers, said Mark Kraft, a Simon spokesman.

The development will mark first venture of Knott’s outside California. The developer is a 50% owner of the project and has agreed to become its managing partner.

While a final agreement between Knott’s and the developer is not completely ironed out, “we think we can put the deal together,” said E. Robert Horn, assistant vice president of Simon & Associates.

The retail portion of the project will include 11 anchor stores (including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s), 800 smaller stores, 100 theme restaurants and three hotels.

Knott’s will provide the amusement facilities. The developer has expressed interest in Knott’s designing and operating about 7 acres of attractions.

“There will be rides, exhibits, dolphins, ice skating. The list goes on,” releases from Simon & Associates say. A rendering on display in Las Vegas shows a mine-train ride and log ride--similar to two of the most popular attractions at the Buena Park facility.

Stuart Zanville, a Knott’s spokesman, said “it’s possible” that the Minneapolis park will have “rides similar to those” described in the developer’s releases. While there could be a roller coaster, “it would be less noisy, and more appropriate . . . without screeching noise,” he said.

But Zanville stressed Wednesday that still “there’s a lot of give and take. The design already has changed three times in the last 10 days.”