Demolition of the lion entrance began on May 13, 1997, and was expected to take two weeks, while the $250 million renovation project was expected to be finished by late 1998. The new facade was expected to cost $40 million to construct. In November 1997, the property installed 18 promotional and entertainment LED screens, including 15 outside the resort. Installation of the lion statue was underway in December 1997, with the addition of a 5,000-pound paw. Assembly of the 100,000-pound statue was expected to be finished later that month. The statue weighs 50 tons, and at tall, on a 25-foot pedestal, is the largest bronze statue in the U.S. The new facade also included 11 statues of winged Atlas-like men holding 16-foot diameter bowls. The statues were made of bronze-finished fiberglass and accompanied the lion statue, along with LED screens and water fountains. Work on the statue and accompanying fountains was expected to be finished in February 1998. The resort's conference center opened in April 1998. The conference center, a pool, and a spa were constructed on 15 acres of land previously occupied by a portion of the theme park and a parking lot.