First Attraction Opens at Park City's Wild West World
"The first attraction of Wild West World in suburban Wichita [KS] is officially open. The Johnny Western Theatre is named for the musician and longtime KFDI radio personality. It was unveiled on Thursday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony with park Owners Thomas and Cheryl Etheredge. The theme park eventually will include 25 rides and other features." From WIBW.
No fun: Unfinished amusement park for sale
"It's not even finished, but owners of a planned go-cart and arcade park have put it up for sale. Court records show the owners of Zoomers owe banks and construction companies millions of dollars. Zoomers is just south of Fort Myers on Summerlin Road. The opening of the amusement park has been stalled several times since 2005." From NBC 2.
Ghost Town in the Sky [NC] park sold, to reopen in May
"Ghost Town Partners LLC bought the nearly 255-acre site from R.B. Coburn for an undisclosed amount of money. Allen and Carol Harper, owners of the Bryson City-based Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, along with two partners in Florida, are the new owners." From The Sun News.
Olathe will consider $850M Legoland theme park
"Olathe [KS] City Council members will meet in closed session Tuesday for a legal briefing on a proposed $850 million entertainment district that would be anchored by a Legoland theme park, and a public briefing is possible during the meeting. Tim Danneberg, a spokesman for Olathe, said the City Council will want extensive public input before deciding on public financing. The request comes from RED Development LLC." From Kansas City Business Journal.
DeKalb amusement park developer defaults on loan
"The developer of a glitzy amusement park complex proposed in south DeKalb County [GA] is battling bankruptcy after defaulting on a loan to purchase the land.
Top Flight Development wants to build The Grand Empire at Fun World, with a theme centered on the seven ancient wonders of the world, on a 31-acre site off I-20 near the Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia. The project calls for an indoor water park and amusement park, a hotel with 800 rooms, as well as offices, apartments and retail, at a total price of about $675 million, according to the developers... But Top Flight has been fending off creditors since March after filing for bankruptcy in federal court. A hearing on the bankruptcy is scheduled for Sept. 7." From The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Army rejects idea for military theme park
"The Army has rejected a proposal to build a military theme park on a Virginia Army base a few miles from the nation's capital. A Florida developer wanted to erect the park at Fort Belvoir in conjunction with plans for a new National Museum of the United States Army scheduled to be built at the base by 2011. Keith Eastin, the Army's assistant secretary for installations and environment, says that proposal 'was dead on arrival, and will be dead on arrival if resubmitted.'" From WBIR.
Geneva-on-the-Lake amusement park closing
"After more than 60 years, a small amusement park in northeast Ohio will close for good when its summer season ends. The family that owns Erieview Park in the Lake Erie resort village of Geneva-on-the-Lake says it plans to redevelop the property into a new business, but it's not providing further details." From WKYC.
Future of Santa's Village remains up in air
"Is Santa Claus being evicted from his summer home? The big guy himself is exempt, but an Illinois corporation has filed two lawsuits against the current and prospective owners of Santa's Village seeking forcible eviction and damages in excess of $700,000. Sixteenth Circuit Associate Judge Stephen Sullivan was scheduled to hear the case this morning. SV (East Dundee) LLC - a holding of Sterling Bay Companies - owns the property at the corner of Illinois 25 and 72 where the amusement park sits. The North Pole Corporation has a lease for the land and pays about $6,000 annually in rent. Owner Hugh Wilson in turn had an agreement with East Dundee businessman Steven Hopp and a group of investors, using the name North Pole Village, to sell the aging amusement park. The deal, however, fell through this past spring due to a lack of financing, sources said." From The Courier News.
Woman Falls Out Of AR Roller Coaster
"A woman is recovering after falling off a roller coaster in Arkansas. The 45-year old woman from Tennessee was visiting the Magic Springs amusement park in Hot Springs, Arkansas over the weekend. The force apparently pushed her out of the car on the 'Twist and Shout' roller coaster, dropping her about twelve feet." From 14 WFIE.
