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coastin
Posts:557
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| 10/24/2008 2:41 PM |
 Alert
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Geauga Lake owner responds on land sale, alleged 'landfills'
SANDUSKY -- Its been 13 months since Geauga Lake amusement park closed forever. Owner Cedar Fair Entertainment's spokesman Robin Innes reports "no change in the sale status of the Geauga Lake land " sale in Bainbridge at this time but he did explain why on-site demolition workers are dumping debris into the former wave pool.
"The wave pool and other pits are being filled in to prevent water-filled hazards. They will not be covered up with dirt," Innes said. "This procedure has been reviewed and approved by the Bainbridge zoning inspector."
The 550-acre amusement park closed on Sept. 21, 2007. On June 17, the remaining rides and some memorabilia were auctioned off and some rides -- like the Illions carousel and the Americana ferris wheel, among others -- were moved to other Cedar Fair parks or previously sold to other parks.
In May, Cedar Fair received three sealed bids for the three Geauga Lake parcels.
One bid, for the an 11-acre parcel, was accepted but Cedar Fair's Chief Executive Officer Dick Kinzel told financial analysts in late August that two of the three bids for the two other parcels that make up the 550-acre park were not high enough to make their sales worthwhile for Cedar Fair.
As winter approaches and most of the land has already been cleared, filling the pits "will be the last major project to complete," Innes said Friday. "There will not be a lot more work being done on the property."
The Itamin Skyscraper and the Big Dipper roller coaster remain intact on the site, while the Raging Wolf Bobs roller coaster is partially dismantled.
The 34-year-old Skyscraper was sold for scrap and will be dismantled and the Wolf Bobs is being sold off in pieces by its owner, Ray Edgehouse Jr., of Cleveland.
The Big Dipper was sold at the June auction to Tom Woosnam, of Akron-based Apex Western Machinery Movers, as he bid $5,000 for it on behalf of a still-unnamed bidder.
It was the only item in the auction that required Cedar Fair's approval for purchase.
"It's a very special ride. We want to make sure it has a proper home," Innes said, the day of the auction.
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admin
Posts:1616
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| 11/12/2008 11:09 PM |
Alert
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Amusement park razing about done Firm trying to finalize 2 land deals
by Brent Hovey
Reporter
Aurora -- It has been about 14 months since Cedar Fair Entertainment announced the closing of the amusement side of Geauga Lake Park.
Over that year, rides have been sold, moved, auctioned or retired, and buildings have been demolished, as Cedar Fair moves forward clearing the land in preparation for its sale.
The land for sale was divided into three parcels.
Agreements are in the works to sell two parcels totaling about 111 acres, according to Cedar Fair spokesman Stacy Frole.
Frole said details of the agreements, and the buyer, have not been released, but the two purchases total nearly $8 million.
She noted officials have accepted a bid for 11 acres surrounding and including the former Geauga Lake Hotel at Route 43 and Treat Road.
Since August, she said Cedar Fair has been working to sell the remainder of the land, and it wasn't until recently that a purchase agreement was reached for another 100 acres.
Cedar Fair is still looking to sell the biggest part of the land -- some 400 acres.
Frole said most rides have been taken down, but a few remain. Buildings also have been razed and much of the land is barren.
"We're continuing to move along," said Frole. "I believe that going into winter, we're pretty much finished with the major work.
"There still might be limited work done on the north side. That means the people who bought some of the rides can remove them without much interference."
The 1926 Big Dipper roller coaster is still standing, as is the Skyscraper (space needle).
FROLE SAID Cedar Fair has not given the buyers of the remaining major attractions a timetable to remove them.
The Big Dipper was purchased for $5,000 by Tom Woosnam of APEX Western Machinery Movers on June 17. He said he bought it for an undisclosed entity, and citing the many rumors surrounding the purchase, he has refused to release any further plans.
The Skyscraper was purchased for $12,500 by Ralph Plumpton of RP Motors in Akron.
During the dismantling process, workers have filled in the old wave pool and some other former water areas with debris.
Frole explained the crews are doing that so there are no water hazards over the winter. Those areas will be emptied when warmer weather arrives next year.
"We have not or will not cover [those areas] with dirt to hide them," said Frole, adding there haven't been any bumps in the process or at least "none that I'm aware of."
However, there have been noticeable concerns from Cedar Fair along the way.
At a parkwide auction, rides went for much less than expected, including the historic wooden Big Dipper, which is considered an "out-and-back" coaster.
When it came time to sell the nearly 500 acres, Cedar Fair initially didn't get sufficient bids for two of the three parcels and rejected those bids.
Dick Kinzel, president and CEO of Cedar Fair, reportedly told analysts Aug. 21 the two bids were not high enough. "We think the land is worth more," he said.
E-mail:
bhovey@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115
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