ricklap77

According to an article in The Meadville Tribune this past week, Todd Joseph can do whatever he wants with the park and demolishany building andrides he wants. "In an interview Thursday with The Meadville Tribune, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) spokesman Howard Pollman said the commission's legal team has found covenants, or restrictions, placed on Conneaut Lake Park's Historic District by the state didn't apply." So that being now clear, things might start moving quicly with the new development.

Well apparently Marineland is closing for good after this week end. The park will be up for sale for possible redevelopment.

As far as I know it's been running pretty much all season long! And both sides too!

Whatever ride I'm on with my 2 sons, I always make sure they buckle up as soon as they sit. I thaught them to always rely on themselves first. Ride operators are usually quite young but well trained. But you never know. Very sad.

Another classic coaster gone

The layout is a simple out and back. Not bad but I don't think there is anything special about it. I have to admit that relocating the coaster would probably mean putting 80% new wood in it, so might as well building brand new if the blueprints are still available. But I don't know if it'd be a success. The Blue Streak is great operating there at CLP if well taken care of. It has good pops of air time, history, and its delapidated look, which induce fear amongst many riders (although the ride is safe). Unless a new owner comes in soon to operate it, and I'm sad to say this, but I can only see the Blue Streak rotting away, and that is if it's not taken down.

Hum weird! I wonder what the asking price was for the Blue Streak!? And why was it listed and then taken off!? Did Todd Joseph think it could make him more money by selling it to someone who wanted to take it down for whatever reason (relocation, fire wood...)? Or has it been sold already!? Maybe some serious people are following this story more than we think! Demolishing a wooden coaster of that size is not cheap.

Well said!! It will all be history soon.

Even if there were hundreds of people at that rally it woud'nt change anything!! Cash is king! Most amusement parks close due to real estate development. And when the market is hot real estate is the way to go to make money.

No! If there is no legal protection for the coaster and the owner does not want it anymore, not much can be done. It belongs to him.

Destruction of the park and Blue Sreak will likely take place very shortly. From screamscape.com (9/4/21) A couple of new interesting developments came to light yesterday regarding the potential demise of Conneaut Lake Park. Sensing, or perhaps knowing a bit more than they can say, ACE stepped onto the field and issued a press release of their own entitled “”IMMINENT DESTRUCTION OF CONNEAUT LAKE’S BLUE STREAK ROLLER COASTER FEARED”. I’m going to embed that below for everyone to read, but the breakdown is that ACE is “deeply concerned” about the future fate of the 83-year-old Blue Streak coaster. They remind everyone that Blue Streak is on the short list of only 45 coasters in the world given “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark” status, one of only 30 granded “ACE Coaster Classic” status. It also mentions that ACE itself has previously donated $30,000 to the restoration of the Blue Streak, and helped obtain a $50,000 grant from PEPSI in the not too distant past to help keep the Blue Streak alive. While imploring to the current management of Conneaut Lake Park to find a way to keep the Blue Streak involved in whatever future business model proves viable for the property, ACE also encourages the PHMC to ‘hold the park’s ownership accountable for complying with any and all covenants and restrictions to which it is legally obligated”. That last part, which Screamscape has mentioned in the past, now apparently has hit a major snag and may actually no longer be true. According to Tweets sent out from @OnlineHyde who is worth listening to,, the bankruptcy court rulings from the sale of Conneaut Lake Park to the current owner appear to have wiped the slate clean. I’ve also embedded his tweet showing a court document that appears to make it clear that the successful bidder on the property from the bankruptcy auction will be “free and clear of any and all” liens, encumbrances, claims, mortgages, deeds of trust, pledges, liabilities as well as “covenants”, restrictions, etc… So based on this new fact, it does indeed appear that the new owner of the park would be free and clear of the previous 2013 Covenant that tied development of the property and changes to existing structuctures and such to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) as part of the terms of purchasing the park through the bankruptcy auction. While our modern litigious society notions would give the impression that this would be a matter that would probably need to go before the court to get a final judgment, somehow I don’t think ACE or the PHMC are going to try and back up their case with expensive legal fees required to take this to the next level. So barring the arrival of some kind of financial angel investor to buy up the park, the fate of Conneaut Lake Park and the Blue Streak does seem to entirely rest with the park’s current owner. Stay tuned...

Well I totally agree with you! I think the park was doing ok before the pandemic but 2020 kind of killed it. Then being sold to Todd Joseph, it was pretty clear and easy to see that he purchased it for the land to be developed in a not so distant future. It is just sad because CLP is or was such a unique place! Yes it looked delapidated but it was part of the experience. And what other park has houses into the park with people living in them!! The Blue Streak is a very fun coaster and yes the fact that it seems as it may fall apart adds to the experience! Honestly, I dont really see CLP or the Blue Streak survive, unless the state of PA and ACE really step in with legal rights regarding the historical issues, or if the owner ends up selling the park to somebody else like Gene Staples who has saved a few so far. Also, there could be someone out there fond enough of the coaster to save it and relocate it, like Knoebel's!! But the clock is thicking. I think after Labor Day week end the park will close for good, never to reopen. The Blue Streak will be demolished and the rest will be history.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Famp%2Fs%2Fwww.yourerie.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Famerican-coaster-enthusiasts-phmc-concerned-over-future-of-blue-streak-roller-coaster-at-conneaut-lake-park%2Famp%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR02XfSxFsSJO7nTvNJbNpta09VEp5IrShjJGSAbrefGYyC7jyp1VtCeLaI&h=AT0hqdzg-s0aLiKT2TXDYAXLkgRi9Z1nfT4EUodPAtLJK-ajqxNFgAc9oa2gPh0ab26iMdsigUpuU8277KYdIsWfGZk-5LLrgK0IY7O7ztwOXz_W-jhLs1GV_L3O6EpszVUT&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT2EhXT6MY-svgtxuWyxsPby3CTFW_q2QuvFIO5ggXIACmzaPK-K-sWPc5P_i7-0DxuVlU3falymyImAMZpyHDeGA-3nPFRbCWct3Pf2rhf4RNIhqCyvtlzWzoSvf5dA8QkwN_yZZWKuIfcdQigAnaqhT8oORaRimCfPI3gSYMown9EqpXrrwMe2FOSJcx6axsaGFLv4-QR- Rallye tomorrow at noon!

Park owner is not responding to anyone! But while he wants to tear everything down, will the state of PA step in in time with the park's historical status before it's too late!? So far it's not too late. The park has a long history of closing and reopening when everyone thought it was doomed.

https://www.yourerie.com/news/local-news/new-park-owner-fails-to-provide-update-about-the-future-of-conneaut-lake-park/

Apparently the owner is removing the train tracks to possibly make room to demolish the Blus Streak.

Coaster is SUCH a wonderful wooden coaster! Not the biggest but soooo smooth and the airtime is great! I love the flanged wheels, I don't understand why they don't make them anymore? They seem to track better.

https://www.erienewsnow.com/clip/15246372/park-lovers-concerned-as-conneaut-lake-park-rides-appear-for-sale-online

Very possible! At least I did get to go on it several times. Awesome coaster! Cyclone at William's Grove I missed it by one year.

Yes if someone could save the Blue Streak that would be great. But it seems like not so many people really care about the park anymore.

Well apparently the owner is in sort of some trouble for tearing down the Tumble Bug ride and some historic buildings as they were protected by a Covenant. According to Screamscape; (Some interesting news has come up that could affect the future plans for Conneaut Lake Park. According to a post on Facebook way back in 2013 a Covenant was placed on the park by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and the Board of Trustees to “protest and preserve the park’s historic attractions and buildings”. Included in the list of protected structures are the Blue Streak coaster, the Hotel Conneaut, the Carousel and many other park structures. The Covenant was signed for a period of 15 years, so it remains in effect through to 2028, and remains in effect and passed down to new owners, including the current one). So it seems this may prevent the Blue Streak from being demolished, which is good news because it seems the owner was going this way. Even if the park closes, with the coaster still up, it could entice a new owner in the future.

Well Flying Scooters is up for sale on usedrides.com! It was lately refurbished. So if anybody wanna visit the park, do so this month before it closes for good

Some source is saying that the owner is indeed getting rid of the park in a very near future.

It looks like it is the end! It's actually surprising the owner still keeps it open! Probably a matter of weeks. While it's very sad to see it go, CLP went on for so many extra years. The park was doomed many times but somehow always survived. This is why we should never take any park or coaster for granted. You just never know when it will be the end so you have to go to the parks while thay are open. I'm glad I went there a couple times. I really enjoyed the Blue Streak.