It's expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the Bluegrass.

On Wednesday morning, Governor Steve Beshear and members of the group Answers in Genesis announced plans for a new religious theme park in Grant County.

Answers in Genesis is the same group that built the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky back in 2007.

The theme park, called Ark Encounter, will be a full scale Noah's Ark tourist attraction.

Governor Beshear says the park, which will be built in Williamstown, is expected to bring in 1.6 million visitors its first year, and generate close to 900 jobs.

The for-profit project is estimated to cost around $150 million. The park will include a theatre, exhibits, live animal shows, and a replica of Noah's Ark, which is expected to stand 500 feet long by 75 feet wide.

"We're going to try to use as many local companies and local materials as possible through construction and operation," Mike Zovath, head of the Creation Museum project said.

The final site selection is subject to whether organizers can acquire all the land, estimated at 800 acres, and approval of certain state and local incentives.

Both state and local leaders expressed their support for the project.

We're told the project is expected to take about 30 to 36 months to complete, with groundbreaking expected sometime in the summer.

The Ark Encounter is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.