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The week/day of the deadline I would expect the lease to be official. From the recent report last week the fairboard is still paying for security, water, etc. So if I was Ed, I would use the entire extension to preserve money for the reopening. That could explain why the lease was not official in April.

None of that makes any sense.

A new chapter for Kentucky Kingdom.

(The article) http://coaster-net.com/news/2127-a-new-chapter-for-kentucky-kingdom/

So. What?

While there is no one to blame for the condition of the park, the responsibility has been shared by former owners, Six Flags and the Kentucky State Fair Board, and arguably Ed Hart and the Koch family.

How is it the Koch family at all to blame for the state of the park?

And it sounds like the only thing coming out of Hart is this "Wow, the park is in rougher shape than I thought. It should be okay, but man is it rough. Look at all this work Im going to have to do. I hope to get the funding, but wow so much work needs to be done. Nothing good left. Park in bad shape. "

So when he does walk away, everyone says, wow he tried but the park is in just so bad of shape.

If anyone should be to blame, it's the Fair Board. According to them Six Flags had no claim to anything so what was left is theirs and they're the ones who've let it rot.

Look at what I've found on Craigslist

http://louisville.craigslist.org/ofc/3851216650.html

The Weber Group was partners with Hart once before

It's hard to hire people when you don't have money to pay them.

If you didn't understand what I was saying the possible reason for the extension that was approved in late April could have been proposed to allow the fairboard to pay for the utilities, security, etc. That helps keep more money in the pocket of Ed Hart and the Development team until the lease is official. When the lease if official June 27, the development team will take over the payments for utilities, security, etc.

So Your saying this project has $0 funding? I doubt it, and I put my money on it that

Kentucky Kingdom will reopen May 24, 2014

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If you didn't understand what I was saying the possible reason for the extension that was approved in late April could have been proposed to allow the fairboard to pay for the utilities, security, etc. That helps keep more money in the pocket of Ed Hart and the Development team until the lease is official. When the lease if official June 27, the development team will take over the payments for utilities, security, etc.

So Your saying this project has $0 funding? I doubt it, and I put my money on it that

Kentucky Kingdom will reopen May 24, 2014

I didn't understand what you were saying because it made no sense. The lease extension was not proposed so that the fair board could spend more money (as you're claiming) - they were already paying to guard the park and have been ever since it closed.

Wanna know why the extension was approved, because...

As expected, the Kentucky State Fair Board at its Thursday meeting granted Louisville businessman Ed Hart and a group of investors an extension to finalize its financing

From: http://www.frostbrowntodd.com/newsroom-243.html

He couldn't nail down a lease then, because he HAD NO FINANCING. If he had any financing, you'd think he would play that up to the press and make that into big news as you know his whole plan is contingent on.... what's that, alex? FINANCING!

Yet, here we are as June drags on and not a peep about financing.

I never said that project has $0 funding, that's the impression Ed Hart has given everyone considering he hasn't announced any investors and his own bank wouldn't loan to him.

An in response to your "bet my own money" comment, maybe you should give that money to Hart instead? He seems to need it.

Kentucky Kingdom will reopen May 24, 2014

...if Hart can find investors, financing and get those rides working that he just claimed were in worse shape than he thought.

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Guess I need to go get some Bdubs tomorrow for Lunch. Gives me an excuse to take a walk around the fairgrounds and look for this mystery construction that NO ONE knows about.

Note: I do not expect to see ANY construction but some people have asked for pics and FanBoy refuses to provide any. I'm off tomorrow and the family is in D.C. so why not.

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No reputable contractor is going to work on real property where the contracting party has no real estate interest. And the state isn't going to pay to work on a roller coaster when Hart & Co. have the legal right to walk away. Nor does it make ANY sense to work on the rides before the presumed future of the park is legally set in stone.

Besides, you recently assured one and sundry that construction is going on in the park.

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The bank is willing to lend a part of the funding that Hart & Co. requested, but ONLY part, and that is with the state land as collateral.

Mr. Hart could easily finance this out of his pocket change. It is telling that he is seeking investors (and the state's land) to bear a risk he is apparently unwilling to himself totally assume.

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and no investor will invest in this day and age without a solid expectation of a return on his investment. If he cant get the outside funding he needs, perhaps he could turn to Kickstarter? For a $100 investment, he'll dig up some old plush toys and some VIP perks for you when the park opens! ;)

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Took a walk around the front section of the park this afternoon. The inside looks just like an abandoned Amusement Park with some areas of cut grass. The park was dead quiet with only some hammering being heard inside of a building marked "Security" on the outside of the park. Evey know and then a Dump truck would exit a parking lot on the back (where Chang was) side of the park. That may or may not have been associated with the park itself and I did not drive back there to look. From what I could see of Thunder Run there is no work being done to it. The same could be said about everything else inside the fence.

I did not see any markers of any kind in any area I could see. Dumpsters were full of stuff though so some cleanup has been performed. There was an orange ribbon tied to a piece of rebar sticking out of the ground. that is just so whomever is mowing can avoid it.

I grabbed some pics but they don't show much.

2013-06-12143957.jpg

2013-06-12144939.jpg

2013-06-12150825.jpg

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http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F201306062152%2FNEWS01%2F306060074

Nice article about Kentucky Kingdom's re-opening, made by the courier-journal.

"At least 75 percent of the rides are inoperable"

“all facilities were stripped of anything of value, including roller coaster trains, lockers, inner tubes, parts for rides and attractions.”

Roller coaster trains aren't cheap. Just as the refurbishment of Thunder Run wont be cheap.....

June 27, 2013 is approaching.

and May 24, 2014 is lurking around the corner...

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Every post in this topic convinces me more and more that Kentucky Kingdom is a Hot Potato. No one seems to know just how hot until they touch it.

I have a feeling that Ed Hart significantly underestimated the cost of refurbishing the property, which means a lot, considering he's already chosen to look for outside funds instead of financing the project out of pocket. My prediction is that Hart will act the same as Six Flags and the Koch family - he'll toss the hot potato.

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Where's the excitement?

Where's the rush of publicity about the huge news about to emerge from Hart & Co.?

Even if Hart is almost totally quiet, why so the Louisville Mayor and Council, the Fair Board and even the Governor?

Success has a thousand parents, failure is an orphan.

And, if for some reason June 27 results in a lease and not yet another extension or the end, the heavy lifting and money spending has only just begun.

Meanwhile, a court in Indiana will mete out an important part of Kentucky Kingdom's future, if any it has.

June 27, 2013.

As we listen to the drumbeat of constant, upbeat, positive publicity about the Thrill Park's future. Or will it be the third Great Escape?

Stay tuned.

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The Court has asked for briefs on the matter and will schedule oral argument sometime after that, probably in early fall. I would expect a decision in early 2014, followed by an appeal to the Indiana Supreme Court, which may or may not decide to hear the case. Of course settlement is an option too...

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