Kentucky Kingdom

[TheBEASTunchained]

Posting photos on this site is difficult. If you don't believe me fine. Go through the fairgroudns yourself.

A photo update has been posted on themeparkreview. It isn't showing anything I've noticed this week construction wise.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=51557&p=1316914&hilit=kentucky#p1316914

It is kind of interesting to hear that one of the security guards said that the Giant Wheel made a few rounds......I also found it interesting how the rides and buildings were labeled with the letter/number combinations.

[shark6495]

if this park is getting ready to be reopened then they are dropping the ball on building excitement through press releases.... or maybe they are hoping people will slowly forget about them as they walk away...

[The Interpreter]

Not good to be promoting the park's re-opening if you are out trying to get sucke..er...investors to invest in a scheme the private sector won't finance, your own bank won't lend the full amount on as it believes it Is too risky and apt to fail even with the STATE's land as collateral, and that even you yourself were unwilling to commit to by April 27, but demanded 60 more days during which you could walk out. Just as the Kochs did. Just as Six Flags did.

June 27, 2013.

[Gordon Bombay]

Posting photos on this site is difficult.

No. It's not.

If you don't believe me fine. Go through the fairgroudns yourself.

A photo update has been posted on themeparkreview. It isn't showing anything I've noticed this week construction wise.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=51557&p=1316914&hilit=kentucky#p1316914

Even you admit these photos don't back up your claims, so why post them? Routine cutting of the grass is not "construction" nor is there any money to fund "construction" nor is there any incentive to.

Why would Hart build anything when his plans aren't set in stone? He's a good businessman, he wouldn't waste money like that.

We get it, you want the park to open, but making things up isn't going to help KKs case.

Edit: I also love that you challenge Shaggy to visit the Fairgrounds himself, and if you had read his post you'd realize he did just that.

[Oldiesmann]

It's actually been kind of funny watching Ed's excitement change to mild enthusiasm and a "sure thing" turn into mild speculation.

When the Kochs walked out, Ed was very vocal about it. The state should have chosen him in the first place. He knew the park. He knew what it took to be successful (nevermind that the industry has changed a lot in 16 years, particularly with the increasing usage of the internet, and, more recently, social media). He had a plan that would see the park reopen in a year.

Now we have mostly silence interspersed with cleverly-disguised bad news. The park was in worse shape than they thought it was. It's taking longer to get financing than they thought, but the state did approve tourism tax credits (but only if we meet certain attendance goals).

I am eagerly awaiting his stories to come in just under 4 weeks. Will he try to drag this out even longer (and maybe convince a few people that he really does care), or will he finally admit that the park is beyond repair?

[sccard01]

Posting photos on this site is difficult.

No. It's not.

If you don't believe me fine. Go through the fairgroudns yourself.

A photo update has been posted on themeparkreview. It isn't showing anything I've noticed this week construction wise.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=51557&p=1316914&hilit=kentucky#p1316914

Even you admit these photos don't back up your claims, so why post them? Routine cutting of the grass is not "construction" nor is there any money to fund "construction" nor is there any incentive to.

Why would Hart build anything when his plans aren't set in stone? He's a good businessman, he wouldn't waste money like that.

We get it, you want the park to open, but making things up isn't going to help KKs case.

Edit: I also love that you challenge Shaggy to visit the Fairgrounds himself, and if you had read his post you'd realize he did just that.

Those photos is just a photo update someone had posted. I didn't say that was "construction". I know what construction is, workers at the top of a rides working hammering, etc. Every time I post pictures on fourm sites I cannot post them because the files are too large or other complications. It is way too time consuming trying downsize photos imo.

How do you or any of you know if Hart plans aren't set? He has not said a thing since he had asked the fairboard for more time to finish up the financing. I am not sure if any of you live 7 minutes or less away from the park but I go through the fairgrounds weekly on a regular basis. I did not say Shaggy is wrong or anything I am just telling you guys what I saw from earlier this week which was construction.

Kentucky Kingdom will be open daily one year from now...FACT

[Beast1979]

Kentucky Kingdom will be open daily one year from now...FACT

Some of the most intelligent and observant members on this board have contradicted your quite firm stance recently, and I would have to side with them. By the end of the summer Kentucky Kingdom, a property Six Flags already apparently saw no return on, will be 4 years out of service. Several times possible buyers have come and gone. No one claims to know anything with certainty, but most of the last several years has offered a reasonable basis to wager against its reopening. That is, no one claims to know anything with certainty, except you, apparently.

[shark6495]

Its almost as if hes trying to troll to upset the board.... no offense SCCARD... in this day and age there is no reason that posting pictures would be too difficult. Flickr Instagram Facebook Twitter... all make it very very very easy....

[TheBEASTunchained]

Its almost as if hes trying to troll to upset the board.... no offense SCCARD... in this day and age there is no reason that posting pictures would be too difficult. Flickr Instagram Facebook Twitter... all make it very very very easy....

You worded it right shark6495! ......

and besides, if you "go through the fairgrounds on a weekly basis", there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to easily take a few pictures and post them here. At this point you are the only person that seems absolutely confident that Kentucky Kingdom will re-open in less than a year or at all. If there is no proof/pictures of what you claim to be seeing, How can we believe you?....

[Gordon Bombay]

Posting photos on this site is difficult.

No. It's not.

If you don't believe me fine. Go through the fairgroudns yourself.

A photo update has been posted on themeparkreview. It isn't showing anything I've noticed this week construction wise.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=51557&p=1316914&hilit=kentucky#p1316914

Even you admit these photos don't back up your claims, so why post them? Routine cutting of the grass is not "construction" nor is there any money to fund "construction" nor is there any incentive to.

Why would Hart build anything when his plans aren't set in stone? He's a good businessman, he wouldn't waste money like that.

We get it, you want the park to open, but making things up isn't going to help KKs case.

Edit: I also love that you challenge Shaggy to visit the Fairgrounds himself, and if you had read his post you'd realize he did just that.

I know what construction is,

Apparently, you don't. Let's review.

Construction (kan-'streak-shan') (n): "The process, art, or manner of constructing something; also : a thing constructed." Source.

So, aptly, your description of, and I quote;

workers at the top of a rides working hammering

Would not be Construction. Considering, it doesn't sound like they're constructing or building anything. Maintenance maybe? Inspections? Sure, he had all the potential repairs "estimated" (and I use that term very loosely). However, you're misleading people by saying there's construction and then claiming there's just some guys piddling around.

How do you or any of you know if Hart plans aren't set?

Probably because, if they were (and they aren't), he would be shouting to high heaven with press releases, good news and trying to get things in order. Because even if he was intending to have just the water park open by next year, he's already losing valuable time.

Also, if his plans were set - why ask for an extension to try and round up money?

Oh yeah, money, kind of hard to execute your plans when you don't have any funding. Hence, uh, why there's no actual construction. With what money could he build anything and how could build anything on property he doesn't have the right to build on?

He has not said a thing since he had asked the fairboard for more time to finish up the financing.

Bolded for emphasis.

Kentucky Kingdom will be open daily one year from now...FACT

Facts require evidence. You sir, have none.

And look, I'm not trying to pick on you, but someone needs to lay out the reality of the situation. I think it'd be great for Kentucky Kingdom to reopen, but right now NOTHING is pointing at that being a likely possibility. You're only fooling yourself, kid.

[westcoaster]

Agree, not even on kentuckykingdom.com have they update, no press releases, no local news, no updates.

I'm not being negative, but it seems to be slipping backwards not forwards.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

I'm sorry sccard01 that Kentucky Kingdom, likely your home park was sadly closed. I couldn't imagine having Kings Island taken away from me, as I have fond memories with family and friends attached to it.

Now I don't believe that people here on KIC are wanting to make this an "us against you" ordeal. This forum has some knowledgable members, and from their perspective, the forecast is gloomy for KK with no sign of a break in the weather.

I wish you the best!

[The Interpreter]

Cited without comment, for now:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130606/NEWS01/306060074/Kentucky-Kingdom-significantly-deteriorated-analysis-says?nclick_check=1

http://www.kentucky.com/2013/06/06/2668461/group-points-to-problems-at-kentucky.html

[AintNutinElse2Do]

^ Three years just to bring it back to less than what it once was, which was still a bit underwhelming. At a much higher price, if a bank wouldn't loan before why would they now at a higher than expected risk. Unless someone ponies up a bunch of their own money I'll say the park is gone and I'll sadly expect no such person does. I wanted to see this open and strive I feel the nail has been placed awaiting the strike of a hammer.

[Gordon Bombay]

Yeah, on schedule to open it within a year...

...but 75% of the attractions are inoperable?

failhorns.wav

No mention of this ongoing construction we've been hearing about?

No mention of securing funds?

20 days...

[Shaggy]

There went Hart's promise of "Biggah, Bettah, Wettah!" ;-)

Here's the deal... Hart is reaping what he sewed. The park was built with poor infrastructure. Food stands and buildings weren't built for time. They were more or less built like back-yard sheds - 2x4 studs with outdoor grade plywood nailed on. They were built simply in order to expand the park rapidly. He then sold off the park, based on percived success... which in reality was masking debt.

[Oldiesmann]

This whole thing is turning into nothing more than a media show. Ed is trying to convince people that he's doing all he can to reopen the park, but 3 weeks away from the deadline to sign or walk away, he still hasn't laid out specific plans, and is still being really vague about the amount they plan to spend ("more than $20 million" when it would have cost $17.5 million just to reopen the park a year ago doesn't sound like he's very confident).

And now they're going to tax employees to help Ed pay back his loan? Whose bright idea was that?

[sccard01]

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.

[TheBEASTunchained]

A new chapter for Kentucky Kingdom.

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

[jcgoble3]

And now they're going to tax employees to help Ed pay back his loan? Whose bright idea was that?

I don't understand this either. Would someone that understands this stuff better explain or even "interpret" that for me?

[The Interpreter]

That would be a fairly standard incentive. The taxes paid by the employees would be rebated to Hart & Co for a time. Absent redevelopment, there would be no taxes to collect.

The amount paid by the employees is the same as if there were no rebate. Governments do this for the likes of WalMart rather frequently.

[jcgoble3]

So let's see if I'm understanding this right. Employees are issued a paycheck, from which had been deducted the usual stuff, including income taxes at the city and higher levels. Except that Louisville, instead of keeping the deducted city income taxes and using them to fund city operations, will instead pay them to Kentucky Kingdom.

Is that right?

[The Interpreter]

That appears to be the proposal.

[shark6495]

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.

[sccard01]

Look at what I've found on Craigslist

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

The Weber Group was partners with Hart once before

[The Interpreter]

Museum experience preferred.

How....appropriate.

[sccard01]

Huh?

[Oldiesmann]

Huh?

Last bulleted item:

• Excellent presentation, written, verbal, communication skills and museum experience preferred.

[Gordon Bombay]

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.

[Gabe]

It's bad enough the City of Louisville vastly underestimated the debt service for the YUM Center (and are now basically scraping money from every nook and cranny in the City budget to make the payments) that they've now agreed to give some of this badly-needed revenue back to KK. June 27 will (or won't be) and interesting day.