Getting “tourists to park, go in to the pretty Gateway Center for an overpriced snack and a few trinkets” is the economic foundation of the plan. It’s predicated on over 100,000 visitors stopping and spending an average of $1.35 per visitor every year.  Every year.
Really? 
I encourage every to download the Gateway Center feasibility study and Read Every Word.  
The report says “the program outlined above is a novel approach to operating a visitor center.”  
That’s novel, as in “new,” as in, “nobody’s done this before.”
In boldface, the summary says “We believe this concept could be a financially sustainable way to operate the Center if executed under the right ownership and governance model.”  
The study’s authors are hedging their bets with “could be,” “if,” and “right.” They don’t know if this “novel approach” will work. If it doesn’t, they didn’t promise it would and have already been paid.  We’re guinea pigs.