Several options on table for land that housed Geauga Lake amusement park

'Blank slate' attractive to business, residential

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Alison Grant

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The gates have closed at Geauga Lake, but questions are just beginning about what will take the amusement park's place.

 

It's not every day that more than 400 acres in a flourishing pocket of Northeast Ohio comes on the market. Real estate experts said the future of the land is up for grabs.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-3/1190709262162650.xml&coll=2

 

"Solon, Streetsboro, Aurora - that have excelled at combining strong residential neighborhoods"

 

Cul-de-sacs are neighborhoods now? Yeah, Streetsboro would be a lovely model to follow :roll:

Here's a novel idea: How about leaving it as a park! Even one with greenspace?!?!

Closing marine attractions catalyst for Geauga Lake's demise

Posted by Shaheen Samavati September 25, 2007 03:11AM

 

Never underestimate the power of Shamu.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/09/closing_marine_attractions_cat.html

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2007/09/closing_marine_attractions_cat.html

 

Closing marine attractions catalyst for Geauga Lake's demise

Posted by Shaheen Samavati September 25, 2007 03:11AM

 

Never underestimate the power of Shamu.

 

 

Plain Dealer reporter John Horton contributed to this story.

 

I wonder if the town of Aurora will look back on this and think, maybe we should have let Sea World build rides and larger attractions like they wanted to?

I wonder if the town of Aurora will look back on this and think, maybe we should have let Sea World build rides and larger attractions like they wanted to?

 

Sea World Orlando was on a downward spiral then built several coasters, rides, and other attractions. If this did not happen, there is no doubt that it would have closed as well.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20071008/FREE/310080038/1071/2020

 

Cedar Fair to solicit bids for Geauga Lake

Amusement park operator will entertain joint venture offers to redevelop property 

By STAN BULLARD

4:30 am, October 8, 2007

 

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. is preparing a thrill ride of sorts for real estate developers who might like to get their hands on its Geauga Lake property, where the landmark Big Dipper and other rides will operate no more.

 

Cedar Fair plans to seek sealed bids for nearly 540 acres of the sprawling amusement park site in southwest Geauga County and northwest Portage County, said Cliff West, a senior vice president and managing director of real estate broker Colliers Ostendorf-Morris in Cleveland.

This is so sad.

The memories. 

 

Hey, but its business.  Cedar Fair realizes that they cannot make it work.  Why let more money run down the drain?  they are smart to pull the plug now.

The only plug they should have pulled was their ownership of Geauga Lake. This was mismanagement and greed -- plain and simple.

 

I will never go to Cedar Point again, nor Wildwater Kingdom or whatever it's called. If you steal my car, why should I go to your house to ride in it and pay your higher rates for the "privilege"? Screw you, Cedar Fair.

The only plug they should have pulled was their ownership of Geauga Lake. This was mismanagement and greed -- plain and simple.

 

I will never go to Cedar Point again, nor Wildwater Kingdom or whatever it's called. If you steal my car, why should I go to your house to ride in it and pay your higher rates for the "privilege"? Screw you, Cedar Fair.

 

KJP, please tell me how you really feel! 

 

Whew, and thank goodness you won't be going to CP any time soon - one less person in front of me, in line, for a ride! :wink:

Cedar Fair didn't mess up Geauga Lake, Six Flags did.. they tried to make the park more then it was, it was a regional park that did very well.  They invested too much money into rides and tried to make it into a national park, and it just was doomed to failure.

 

Also, the loss of Sea World hurt, having a double attraction was a big draw.

I understand both of those. But Cedar Fair closed it, and they ultimately did it out of greed because they were facing declining attendance at Cedar Point because of rising gas prices.

 

And, MyTwoSense, you should be ashamed of giving your money to Cedar Fair. If you had any pride, you would boycott them too.

Cedar Fair didn't mess up Geauga Lake, Six Flags did.. they tried to make the park more then it was, it was a regional park that did very well.  They invested too much money into rides and tried to make it into a national park, and it just was doomed to failure.

 

Also, the loss of Sea World hurt, having a double attraction was a big draw.

 

Well I can agree to that, thats why we sold the majority of Six Flags. 

Cedar Fair had to make a business decision, they actually had increased attendance this year, it was because of rising costs and the value of the property.

Really, FunCo never should've let go of Wyandot Lake, Geauga Lake, nor Darien Lake.  That's where the true demise for Geauga Lake came in.

In my opinion, Cedar Point is one of the biggest wastes of money ever .. in fact, most amusement parks are. The great thing about Geauga Lake was that it was aimed at people who wanted more for their money. Cedar Point has the bigger, better rides, but how many of them do you actually get to ride?? The last time I was there, I counted about 10. Now that was 7 years ago, but still. :)

pd:

 

Group tries to preserve Geauga Lake's Big Dipper coaster

Bids to make it focus of retail development Monday, November 12, 2007

John Horton

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Article Removed

 

^ That would be nice, But I would have liked the whole park be saved!!

I have fond memories of Geagua Lake but the fondest ones are from before Six Flags took over. I like new, big thrill rides, however, the simplicity was better. I wish the park kept more of an old school Kennywood type feel. Now, I know how my parents felt when Euclid Beach kicked the bucket.

 

So will the land turn into yet another big box development? Housing Developments like Shady Lakes Amusement Park?

Yeah Geauga Lake hold many fond memories for me as well.  So does Sea World.

 

I know how my parents felt when Euclid Beach kicked the bucket.

 

So will the land turn into yet another big box development? Housing Developments like Shady Lakes Amusement Park?

 

I was just thinking the same about the Euclid Beach/Geauga Lake unfortunate similarities.

 

I don't think we have to worry about big boxes popping up since its already been taken care of across and down the street. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere down the line The new Geauga Lake gated subdivision pops up with: "Luxury homes with Lakefront views starting in the $500's".

 

Welcome tinkerbelle!!

And they'll live across the street from a Walmart.. how sickening..

 

I don't think we have to worry about big boxes popping up since its already been taken care of across and down the street. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere down the line The new Geauga Lake gated subdivision pops up with: "Luxury homes with Lakefront views starting in the $500's".

 

 

:laugh: I can see it now too.

 

Despite there being concrete everywhere, I wish that it could be turned into a large, inviting green space instead. You know, when people need a break from the hustle and bustle of Walmart...

Sandusky Register:

 

Senator to Cedar Fair: Save the Dipper

 

By JANET NGUYEN | Wednesday December 05 2007, 6:53am

 

Article Removed

how sad... I had no idea Geauga Lake was gone... it was the first amusement park I visited... at age 4

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/03/geauga_lakes_wooden_coasters_c.html

 

Geauga Lake's wooden coasters could be auctioned

 

Posted by Shaheen Samavati March 24, 2008 17:45PM

Categories: Breaking News

 

If Geauga Lake's three wooden coasters -- the Big Dipper, Villain and Raging Wolf Bobs -- don't sell soon, they'll be auctioned in June.

 

Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Mich. will be running an auction on June 17 and 18 to sell any remaining rides, equipment and other assets from the former Bainbridge Township amusement park, said Bryan Edwards, a spokesman for Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., the park's Sandusky-based parent.

Cedar Fair might wait on sale of Geauga Lake land

 

Posted by Shaheen Samavati August 21, 2008 12:44PM

Categories: Real Estate News Impact, Real estate

 

It's looking like development on 500-plus acres on the former site of Geauga Lake will not happen anytime soon.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/08/cedar_fair_might_wait_on_sale.html

^ Oh thank the Lord.. I was worried about Cedar Fair's profit margin on this sale.. now a ravaged former amusement park will site vacant until the property value jumps and they build some more McMansions.

"We think the land is worth more," Kinzel said.

 

This phrase has always made me laugh. Property and Real Estate is only worth what someone else is willing to pay you for it. That is it. You may wish that it would be worth more, but that doesn't make it so.

 

I am sure they were hoping for X amount to help them with their massive debt. Its just a shame to see an Ohio company gut and Ohio historic park.

^ Oh thank the Lord.. I was worried about Cedar Fair's profit margin on this sale.. now a ravaged former amusement park will site vacant until the property value jumps and they build some more McMansions.

 

They might have gotten good value for this exurban property when oil sold for less than $50 per barrel, maybe even less than $70.

 

But not at $100+.

^ Oh thank the Lord.. I was worried about Cedar Fair's profit margin on this sale.. now a ravaged former amusement park will site vacant until the property value jumps and they build some more McMansions.

 

They might have gotten good value for this exurban property when oil sold for less than $50 per barrel, maybe even less than $70.

 

But not at $100+.

 

You have to hate it when oil actually starts to impact land values. Those pre oil value calculations to help with their debt might not be looking so good right now.

And the unsustainable sprawl continues...  :roll:

 

From wkyc.com

 

Colliers: Jacobs 'purchase agreement' for 30 Geauga Lake acres

 

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=100833&catid=45

 

Posted By: Kim  Wendel    3 mins ago

 

BAINBRIDGE -- A Colliers Ostendorf Morris spokesman said The Richard E. Jacobs Group has a "purchase agreement" to buy the 30-acre parking lot on state Route 43 at the former Geauga Lake park.

 

Colliers' managing director of land development services Cliff West said Jacobs plans a "retail development with big box stores, some restaurants and it's dependent upon a major department store coming in as an anchor."

So unfortunate.

And it should be noted that there's a $100 million proposal for a site near I-480 and Hadden Road in Twinsburg. Nooo, no such thing as retail oversaturation - especially the unsustainable kind!

 

The only silver lining its what going on with the hotel site.

 

These people are making me not want to shop. And I like shopping.

From 1978-1993 (ages 11-26), I lived less than 1 mile of Geauga Lake. I can't tell you how much I hate Cedar Fair. Bastards sold off and scrapped a big chunk of my childhood memories.....

 

Geauga Lake's final chapter: Closing of Wildwater Kingdom sets up future development

By Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

on August 29, 2016 at 11:30 AM

 

AURORA, Ohio – One week from today, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom will close, the last chapter in more than a century of amusement park history on the site.

 

The question now: What does its sequel look like?

 

It won't include roller coasters or water slides.

 

It will include restaurants, residential living, waterfront access and the region's first Meijer grocery store.

 

It may also include a movie production facility, a hospital, or a branch of a local university.

 

Cedar Fair, the Sandusky amusement-park company that has owned the property since 2004, didn't respond to several requests for interviews for this story.

 

MORE:

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2016/08/geauga_lakes_final_chapter_clo.html

 

But that new Meijer is really going to put Aurora in the national spotlight!  :roll:

 

I'm still bitter about this whole saga, if my username is any indication. I can't help but wonder if Matt Ouimet would have handled it differently if he had been in charge of Cedar Fair at the time, but alas, that wasn't the case.

 

I have a history of my local amusement park closing. When I lived in Massachusetts I was a few miles from Whalom Lake Park which closed shortly after I moved to Ohio. When I moved to Cleveland Geauga Lake was only 25 or so minutes away and it closed right as I left for college. Thankfully I don't see Kings Island closing now that I've moved away from Cincinnati, but maybe the curse will change that.

 

I'm very bitter about what happened with Geauga Lake. It wasn't entirely Cedar Fair's fault (Six Flags effed up bad trying to make it a national destination to rival Cedar Point) but they certainly didn't give it their all.

 

And worse is the fact that they let one of the oldest coasters on earth rot while they scattered the remains of the park across the country.

 

And it's not even like they did a good job integrating these moved rides into their new locations. I mean, Batman:Knight Flight/Dominator was in such a great spot at Geauga Lake. Now? Former parking lot. It's terrible.

 

It's a shame this couldn't have turned out better in the end.

I was in the unique situation of working for all three companies in the early 2000s, starting in 2000 with SeaWorld the year before it was sold, then working three years for Six Flags, and finally working the first year for Cedar Fair. Anheuser-Busch was far and away the best company to work for and their management knew best how to operate a park IMO. Supposedly they tried to buy the Geauga Lake side, but those plans fell through unfortunately. So they sold their half to Six Flags, a company whose incompetence in leadership was truly amazing, and whatever they were trying to do with the combined park failed miserably. By the time they sold to Cedar Fair, the park had earned a terrible reputation and was not in great shape. I believe that Cedar Fair could have tried to make it a successful regional park, but that was never their intention. So I think there's plenty of blame to go around.

The Cleveland Clinic Day at SeaWorld was always my favorite day of summer growing up. It was the weirdest place to think of building a SeaWorld, but I love telling people in southwest Ohio that Shamu used to have a summer home in Cleveland and getting a bunch of strange looks from them. I only went to the park as a Six Flags in 2000 and 2003, but they grew that park way too fast to try and compete with Cedar Point. And Cedar Fair just did a horrible job from a PR perspective when they closed the park. Left a sour taste in a lot of peoples's mouths, even though in hindsight it was expected. I wish I had gotten one more ride on the Big Dipper. I also wish they would just move its trains to Cedar Point to run on Blue Streak but that'll never happen. It's sad that the only amusement park Cleveland has left is Memphis, but at least they have the world's oldest steel roller coaster at that place!

I went to Sea World around 1988 but don't remember it well.  It was a very rainy day so we didn't stay for very long.  We saw Shamu do his thing and some penguins but that was about it.  I remember seeing the roller coasters across the lake and being confused...I had heard of Cedar Point but not Geauga Lake and had no idea how to pronounce it.  I eventually learned the correct pronunciation from my Aunt who grew up in Youngstown. 

 

I eventually went to both Cedar Point and Kennywood around 1990-1994 and mostly remember being mildly intrigued by the eastern European ethnicities of the patrons, which are still virtually non-existent in Cincinnati.  Kings Island, I assume (I haven't been there in 20 years), is still a showcase of Appalachian heritage and zero cardio. 

I went to Sea World the first year it opened, on a hot summer day. This was the big new attraction to see and the park was crowded. I was just starting high school and I was there with my sister and brother-in-law and little nephew (who's old now). It was all highly unusual and novel for Ohio, to say the least, like the Orlando of the North. Had a lot of fun (as I remember) but did I mention how crowded it was? :x

I went to Sea World the first year it opened, on a hot summer day. This was the big new attraction to see and the park was crowded. I was just starting high school and I was there with my sister and brother-in-law and little nephew (who's old now). It was all highly unusual and novel for Ohio, to say the least, like the Orlando of the North. Had a lot of fun (as I remember) but did I mention how crowded it was? :x

 

Off the top of my head, 1970?

Bring on the outlet mall. Hobby Lobby, Family Dollar, Applebee's and Halloween Express here we come.

^^I couldn't remember exactly, but that sounds about right. I just couldn't get over the mobs of people there. I think I went in September and the place opened in May. I think.

I figured since it's how I got my online screen name for every website I've ever posted to, It'd be fitting for me to break the news that the Big Dipper is no more. Honestly it's heartbreaking not just for sentimental reasons, but for me, watching Geauga Lake decline and ultimately close was really the first time that I opened my eyes to Cleveland and its struggles. I thought it was unfair to let that ride sit there and rot, and I slowly started to notice everything else that people had let fall apart across NEO. I wish it was cathartic for me to know that this chapter in Aurora's history was mercifully over, but it hurts me as much as losing any other piece of our history, be it some nondescript storefront along St Clair or the Fifth Church on 117th. People are slowly re-learning to value our resources in this region before they all disappear for good, but frankly it sucks that we got here in the first place.

Too angry to comment.

I will always hate Cedar Fair for that massive d-bag move they pulled.

I will always hate Cedar Fair for that massive d-bag move they pulled.

 

Indeed.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2016/10/geauga_lakes_big_dipper_roller.html