Geauga Lake Has No New Offers for Land

[The Interpreter]

A spokesman for Cedar Fair Entertainment said last week the company has not received any offers "recently" to sell nearly 500 unused acres at Geauga Lake Park. But while there may not be roller coasters or a Ferris wheel at the park anymore, Cedar Fair Public Relations Director Robin Innes said he is "optimistic" Wildwater Kingdom water park will bring plenty of people to the area this year.

...A proposal to sell several acres for commercial use never went forward, and Cedar Fair rejected at least one other offer, saying it was considerably less than what the land is worth....

http://www.hudsonhubtimes.com/news/article/4608916

[jzarley]

Of course, as my late father used to say-- "something's only worth what someone will pay you for it."

[Guest rcfreak339]

I think that Wild Water Kingdom will be gone soon, kind of sad.

[The Interpreter]

Proposal For Geauga Lake Hotel Thwarted:

http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news/article/4717332

[IndyGuy4KI]

I am hoping they can get the land sold so they can pay off some debt. The faster they can do that, the faster we will see new coaster construction projects happening.

[SOB_TOM]

Mason City Counsel better read this part very, VERY closely....

"We are extremely disappointed about the decision," she said in an e-mail to the Advocate Nov. 19. "We have spent enough time and resources toward this project.

"We do not wish to continue to pursue doing business in a city that clearly does not wish to welcome us," she wrote. "There are too many opportunities in municipalities that are business friendly and eager to have an empty building converted into a new property that not only visually enhances their community, but provides jobs and economic development."

[The Interpreter]

Geauga Lake: Former Park Gone:

Although it's been only about 2 1/2 years since Cedar Fair closed the amusement side of Geauga Lake Park, many of the structures there already are gone.

Most of the rides have been moved to other parks, many buildings have been demolished and weeds are starting to poke through the asphalt. The Big Dipper roller coaster and ballroom still stand.

During a recent trip to the Youngstown area, I witnessed the sad state of a once bustling amusement park which has been inactive for 25 years.

Hopefully, the Geauga Lake property will be redeveloped long before it lays idle as long as the old Idora Park has on the south side of Youngstown.

In the fall of 2008 when I walked the grounds of old Chippewa Lake Park in Medina County, which closed in the late 1970s, many buildings and rides still stood in a dilapidated state among the trees, bushes and weeds....

http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news/article/4785058

[Hank]

Someone, or somebody, like Kennywood (although I believe the original people no longer run it) should have bought GL before the rides were gone - maybe even the waterpark too - I think they could have made a "go" of it.

But, just like Terpy, it's just my opinion and nothing more.

Oh, the should haves and could haves can drive a person insane!

[bkroz]

My question is, did Cedar Fair attempt to put the park up for sale? Or did they just close it without even trying?

If it's the latter, I expect it's a "If we can't have it no one will" what with Cedar Point being so close. But would/did the benefit of moving Geauga Lake's former rides to other parks really exceed the money that would've been made from selling the park outright? I think it was well-proven that no giant park could exist in that spot as Six Flags had tried to do... And even with it's smaller collection of rides post-Superman-and-X-Flight, Geauga Lake would have made a great addition to the Parques Reunidos family...

[Captain Picard]

The economic environment has changed from what it was years ago at Geauga Lake. That is why it wouldn't have made a difference who owned it. The former owners knew what was coming and got out when the getting was good.

If they could have moved Geauga Lake to where all the jobs went it would still be open.

[CedarPointer]

My question is, did Cedar Fair attempt to put the park up for sale? Or did they just close it without even trying?

Would you create more competition for two of your own major parks by selling a park to your competitors? No? Exactly. While I disagree with their action from an enthusiast standpoint, I have to agree with it from a business standpoint. Many of the CF parks benefited from GL's closing, and CP has less competition.

[bkroz]

My question is, did Cedar Fair attempt to put the park up for sale? Or did they just close it without even trying?

Would you create more competition for two of your own major parks by selling a park to your competitors? No? Exactly. While I disagree with their action from an enthusiast standpoint, I have to agree with it from a business standpoint. Many of the CF parks benefited from GL's closing, and CP has less competition.

Right, that's what I assumed. But my point was, Geauga Lake sans X-Flight and Superman was, at most, a moderately sized park... Mostly wooden coasters with a real standout in Batman / Dominator. I think that, no matter who might've purchased it, it would've remained a mid-sized park and been quite successful as such, as it had been for a century before Six Flags came along. I do agree that the other parks have benefitted from its closure. I'm not saying what they did was wrong from a business standpoint, just wondering if they had put it up for sale at all. I guess the answer is no.

[Outdoor Man]

the death knoll came when Six Flags built it larger than the area could sustain it. If you look at it's location in proximity to any real flow of traffic its easy to see how it wouldn't survive as a mega park. I think that Sea World (or the Wild Animal side) was key to its survival because it was something no other park could match. Then once it left with the Six Flags name it took away what made the park different. Cedar Point had better coasters- there was nothing to make it exclusive anymore. Adding a WaterPark didn't do much to draw people from anywhere.... most parks have those now anyway.

I think that CF tried to make a go of it- but with a recession looming and a roster of slightly used roller coasters that could be re-badged elsewhere as new experiences- I think they felt that "if we can't make a go of this on our terms..... no one is" - the decision to close became easy.

It's sad that we aren't even 10 years removed from the Six Flags Worlds of Adventure expansion and now it is a weed field. If I'm not mistaken, it was considered to be Six Flags "flagship" park, wasn't it?

From a business standpoint- the why makes sense. I just disagree with how they did it. If they would have announced a farewell month or even weekend- they would have attracted at least one large payday from it.

[CedarPointer]

SFMM and SFGAdv are SF's flagships IIRC. (I think CP and Knott's are CF's?)

[Outdoor Man]

but, in 2001 - 2003, wasn't Worlds of Adventure considered a flagship park?

[bkroz]

I would absolutely say Worlds of Adventure was a flagship. I often have people who aren't even industry enthusiasts comment to me how sad it is that, at one point, Ohio did have the flagship Paramount Park, Cedar Fair park, and one of the Six Flags flagships, plus one of only four SeaWorlds! What a shame it is that literally each and every one of the parks is now owned by Cedar Fair. Love them or hate them, you must admit that it's sad to see four unique, incredible parks all united and meshed together to all have the same feel, the same soundtracks, the same ride names, the same atmosphere... It's very strange, and honestly quite sad. Again, love them or hate them, you must admit that it's certainly not how Ohio used to be... To think that we used to be the state for major parks after California and Florida!

Perhaps the biggest thing I always ponder is, of course, that when the deal was first struck, it was SeaWorld attempting to buy Six Flags Ohio. One can only wonder what / if that park would still remain had that transaction gone through. Certainly the park wouldn't have had X-Flight, Superman, Batman, or any of the other coasters that were added as part of its Six Flags rebranding... But what would it be like? Those are the 'what if's that kill for a lot of us up here in the Aurora area... It's killer.

It is very strange to see three major flagships "downgraded." And through it all, guess which park managed to outrank all the other Ohio parks. What a surprise, huh? But we could spend decades debating over what's happening in alternate realities: Paramount's Cedar Point? Six Flags Kings Island? Universal's Kings Island? And in one of those alternating realities, people are guffawing at the idea of Cedar Fair's Kings Island. It's true!

[TH13TEEN]

SFMM and SFGAdv are SF's flagships IIRC. (I think CP and Knott's are CF's?)

Those two parks once were CF's flag ship parks. Once Cedar Fair bought Paramount Parks... Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland joined the party.

[Browntggrr]

Would you create more competition for two of your own major parks by selling a park to your competitors? No? Exactly. While I disagree with their action from an enthusiast standpoint, I have to agree with it from a business standpoint. Many of the CF parks benefited from GL's closing, and CP has less competition.

GL (or SFWoA) was never competition for CP, KI, KW or anyone else.

If it was, the park would have been, at least, moderately busy.

But for $40 plus $8 for parking (as it was under SF), why spend that kind of money when you can spend a little bit more and go to CP?

Sure, the park was busy a couple years after SF made all the additions, but attendance -unfortunately- steadily declined.