Hollywoodland to come to Middletown?

[CoastersRZ]

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/middletown-council-to-vote-on-potential-1-3b-entertainment-development

Total investment of over $1.3 billion, coming to Middletown, OH.  We will see if this actually comes to fruition.  If it does, there will be an indoor amusement park not far from Kings Island.  Granted, this is likely many many years off from becoming a reality.

[DoomPlague]

Yeah, and the Columbus area was going to get a $2 billion "sports and entertainment" resort a few years ago.

 

Chances of this getting built are extremely slim.

[Gordon Bombay]

Not going to happen.

If it looks like Planet Oasis and smells like Polar Coaster, odds are it’s b*lls**t. 

[BoddaH1994]

I think it’ll happen. 

[Kenban]

These types of projects rarely get built.  The problem is typically financing.  Designing and building is the easy part.  Finding the money is difficult.

I took a look at the website.  The developers do not appear to be putting any money into the project.  The design was even paid for by $250k from Middletown.  They plan to pay for the project with $1.1 billion in bonds.  I am on the fence about this projects chances.  This group has successfully built projects in the past.  But nothing on a scale even close to the size and expense of this proposal.  I suspect they will have a difficult time issuing the bonds.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I have a hard time believing this'll happen. Especially in Middletown. I think it would have a better chance of actually being built if they were building in West Chester or Columbus. Even if this does happen, it'll likely be 5-10 years at least before it actually happens. I would just take this as they are just "talking about it" and move on. 

[ThrillKingsFitzy]

American Dream mall is very similar to this and it took a looooooooong time to develop

[BoddaH1994]

1 hour ago, ThrillKingsFitzy said:

American Dream mall is very similar to this and it took a looooooooong time to develop

Ken Burns could make a 10 parter about the speed bumps in that project. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

According to this article, if everything goes as planned, it should be completed by 2024 which imo is likely around the time we may see our Vortex replacement. If so, I think we'll see some nice economic boost to the general area over those next few years with the opening of this complex and a big new attraction at KI. Just my opinion and nothing is confirmed and I am still not sold on this actually happening knowing the history with developments similar to this. Honestly, I think if this falls through I think it would be cool if they could move this project to Kings Mills/Mason and have it near Kings Island and make it a "downtown Disney" like feel in the area. Just my opinion.

Article:  https://www.fox19.com/2021/10/05/13b-entertainment-district-hollywoodland-theme-park-proposed-middletown/

[MDMC01]

1 hour ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Ken Burns could make a 10 parter about the speed bumps in that project. 

There is a documentary on Youtube by Bright Sun Films chronicling the history of that project: 

I haven’t watched it in a while, but IIRC, the project had a lot of stops and starts by different interest groups and the current version of the mall is a hodgepodge of those half-built ideas.

[guy1115]

An update....

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/i-team/citizen-research-how-two-middletown-moms-helped-derail-a-1-3b-project?fbclid=IwAR29q5GSyOPc49zHwQX-GgEF5BCvrzRq2csnrJ_MFY5Z4UTnGhNxLnCotQE