Zoomers Amusement Park given new lease on life

[BarryH]

I had heard about Zoomers coming soon to a place in Ft. Myers, FL, but I've never seen the building. I decided to check it out on October 1 and see what it was all about. It was rainy that day, so I didn't get a chance to walk around. It isn't Cedar Point, but it looks like a decent park.

Edited June 15, 2012 by jedimaster1227

[chauncey]

A Dragon Wagon? Hmm, well, at least they got the best model! If I were starting a park with a kiddie coaster, though, I'd at least go for a Rollerskater, or one of those "Instant ACE Classic" kiddie woodies, maybe even a custom one. A Dragon Wagon just makes it seem like they aren't trying! It is slightly better than a Wacky Worm, however.

[OldJJman]

Cool! Another credit when I make it back to Florida!!!

 

JJ

[DenDen]

Oh cool, that's close to a camp ground a frequent, I'll have to stop there! Wonder if their any relation to Boomers? (JK)

[BarryH]

From the Ft. Myers News-Press: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051228/BUSINESS/512280369/1004/NEWS0102

 

Amusement park ready for long-awaited opening

Hiring begins next week

 

By Tim Engstrom

tengstrom@news-press.com

Originally posted on December 28, 2005

 

Hiring is expected to begin next week for the planned opening of Zoomers amusement park in late January.

 

Tim Miles, who is a partner in the park south of Fort Myers, said he expects to hire about 50 people, including ride operators and deli and concessions workers.

 

The park, located at Summerlin Road and Safety Street, has been in the works since 2002. The opening repeatedly has been delayed by damage from Hurricane Charley in August 2004, disruptions from Hurricane Wilma in October, a change in contractors and other factors.

 

"We are almost there and it's going to happen," Miles said. "I wish I could give a definite date, but we are doing everything we can."

 

At opening, the park will cover about 7.5 acres and include go-kart tracks, a small roller coaster, bumper boats, amusement rides for small children, a rock-climbing wall, a bungee jump, an arcade, a deli and a kids concession area.

 

The park has about 10.5 acres of room for future expansion.

 

For now, the climbing wall is up, the raised go-kart track is ready and the buildings are nearly ready for workers.

 

"We need to get the power up throughout the rest of the park, get the pavers installed and get the landscaping together," Miles said.

 

He said he knows future customers are eager for the park to open because he talks to them nearly every day.

 

"They are pulling in all the time and the phone is ringing all the time," he said. "We've got a salesperson for birthday party bookings and we could fill it up tomorrow."

 

Richard Radka, 13, is among those waiting. He passes by the park almost daily from his home in Fort Myers Beach.

 

"I always look when we drive by to see what's new and what's changed from the last time," he said. "I know they are going to have go-karts and I really like those and I will go on the roller coaster and I like arcades."

 

Richard's mother, Peg Radka, said she expects to be an early visitor once the park opens.

 

"That's all he talks about," she said. "He's already talking about getting an annual pass."

 

 

 

I drove by this place at the beginning of December. They had a lot of building work to do, but the coaster track was spray painted pink! I'll check it out when it finally opens.

[BarryH]

Source: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060822/BUSINESS/608220343/1014/BUSINESS

 

I drove by this park occassionally and for months, it looked nearly complete, but there were no signs of life. Now I know what happened. Who wants to buy the park? Maybe we can put a nice woodie there. Who wants to relocate the Screamin' Eagle?

 

Zoomers fun park up for sale

Company can't afford finishing touches

 

By Dick Hogan

Originally posted on August 22, 2006

 

The almost-completed Zoomers Family Amusement Park south of Fort Myers is for sale with a $15.7 million price tag — and the company that owns the park has filed to reorganize under federal bankruptcy law.

 

"Zoomers is for sale," Kevin Jursinski of Florida Fidelity Realty Advisors said Monday. "We're 90 percent-plus complete and the owners can't finish the park on their current financing" from Florida Community Bank.

 

The owner of the 8-acre property is Zoomers Holding Co., LLC. Businessman Tim Miles, a part owner, said the park must either be refinanced or sold if it's to be finished. "We're at a point where we've got to do one or the other."

 

Finishing the park would cost $500,000 to $1 million and would take 60 to 90 days if the money were available, Jursinksi said.

 

Miles said getting the work done — mainly minor details such as landscaping and installing paving stones — is largely "just a matter of getting the subcontractors back together" who have already done most of the work.

 

Meanwhile, Zoomers Holding Co. also is trying to get the financing to finish the project, said Jursinski, who's also an attorney and has represented Zoomers in the past.

 

"We do already have one interested buyer. Someone's going to get a very good bargain on a great park," he said.

 

The park was first announced in 2002 with plans to open in early 2005, but that date was soon pushed to November 2005 and has been delayed repeatedly since then.

 

It's designed with a go-kart track running through a building, which will feature arcade games and other attractions.

 

A package of information put together by the sellers includes a statement by Sarasota-based Laura Trebing that the unfinished park was worth $15 million as of June 28 and would be worth $15,720,000 on Oct. 1, if finished.

[jamesdillaman]

Well let's all get together and purchase TPR-World while we still can. I mean, they have a go-cart track through a building! What could be better?

 

-James Dillaman

[ECZenith]

Maybe the new buyer will have even bigger plans for the place. I mean, at least it's not going to become condos like every other park that's been bought out recently.

[BeemerBoy]

Or maybe it'll be completed just in time for another huge gulf coast hurricane to come ripping through and destroy it. But, of course, I hope that's not the case.

[pianojohn]

$15.7 million? Are you kidding me? I saw this park and it is worth MAYBE $1/2 million tops! I don't know what these owners think they are sitting on, but it is not worth nearly that much money!

[jamesdillaman]

^Um, sorry to burst your bubble, but land in that area is worth much more than that alone, so I can see the park being worth more than that. Someone, as they said, will probably get a good deal on this park if they want it.

 

-James "Florida is booming on that side" Dillaman

[Johnny Upsidedown]

The asking price maybe a little bit high. Lets consider that all the rides are new as in never operated. I would figure the land was not cheap. I think also that part of the high price is so the owner can get back money he spent on develpment of the property and either financed the park or spent his own money to build the park.

 

I think the park had some hurricane damage in 05 or 04 cant remember. Maybe the owner didnt have insurance and its just more money that the owners had to dump into the park to make repairs. Now it seems he is in over his head.

 

Plus I think like all things you sell, ask high so you can get as much as you can. It would be interesting to find out if the owner would break even with the sell of the park or is that 15 million with a profit to the owner after the sell..

 

I dont know what rides cost but a small collection of flat rides and a kiddie coaster cant be cheap. A basik wild mouse goes for 2 mill.

 

Anyway just my 1 and a 1/2 cents worth.

 

Here is a pick of the coaster http://www.rcdb.com/ig3330.htm?picture=1

[BarryH]

Here's a park in my area that's in the news a lot due to financial problems. They've been in and out of bankruptcy. They were set to open, but didn't. Here are their latest woes.

 

I drove by the property recently. It's nearly complete. The roller coaster and disassembled in the parking lot, but it can put put together in a few days.

 

Source: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 70345/1014

 

Zoomers sale at auction delayed

Court proceedings stall bank's plans

 

By Dick Hogan

Originally posted on October 17, 2007

 

Zoomers Family Amusement Park has dodged the auctioneer's gavel once again as its owners keep trying to line up financing for the almost-completed project.

 

Plans were first announced to build Zoomers in 2002 on Summerlin Road in south Fort Myers but hurricanes Charley and Wilma stalled the project and a variety of legal and financial woes plus two bankruptcy reorganization petitions ensued.

 

Owner Zoomers Holding Co. was in the process of being foreclosed on for a $10.7 million construction loan by Immokalee-based Florida Community Bank when it filed for bankruptcy reorganization Aug. 27 — hours before the foreclosure sale.

 

Florida Community had the bankruptcy thrown out of court Sept. 5 and rescheduled the sale but Zoomers filed a motion to reconsider the case's dismissal and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Alexander Paskay has set a hearing on that motion for Nov. 1.

 

Bank president Steve Price said the bank is in the process of rescheduling the sale but had to cancel the original Oct. 15 and Oct. 30 sale dates until the latest issues are resolved.

 

Zoomers says in a motion filed by Sarasota-based attorney Benjamin Martin that it is entitled to more time to arrange financing and that Zoomers "was not given an opportunity to present evidence of appraisals which establish equity in (its) real property."

 

The property is appraised at $13.4 million and New York-based Sequoia Commercial Realty Group has tentatively offered in a letter of intent to loan Zoomers $11.9 million or 75 percent of the market value, whichever is less, according to documents attached to Zoomers' motion.

 

Besides the Florida Community foreclosure, there are liens against Zoomers that amount to about $2 million.

 

Just before owners said they planned to open the park, state officials shut down the job site for workers' compensation issues.

Edited November 15, 2011 by larrygator

[spaceace12]

do you have any photos? I wondered what this park looked like. I also wonder how much would get this park open.

[BarryH]

^I'll get some photos when I have a chance. It might be after Halloween.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Its a small little park with a pink roller coaster. There are a couple of photos of it on RCDB. I have been following the story for several months. Its hard to say if the guy is just getting another delay or if maybe this time he can get the money situation straightend out and get the park open. He owes alot of people alot of money. It would be good for the area if they could finally get the park open.

[Airtime&Gravity]

Here is the photo from rcdb:

 

 

Hopefully things can get sorted out because I believe this park will do well once it opens. I thought this park was done for good a while ago, so hopefully the owners can get the park open, and who knows, maybe if it opens, the owners can build a larger coaster in a few years.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

You can see a few other photos in this news article. Its an article from last year but there are a couple photos you can see.

http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2006/jul/12/residents_find_little_amusement_delays_keep_fun_pa/

[robbalvey]

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/NEWS0117/80501036/1075

 

Two arrested in south Fort Myers roller coaster track theft

 

Two men were arrested Wednesday for reportedly stealing $10,000 worth of roller coaster tracks from Zoomers Amusement Park in south Fort Myers.

 

According to Lee County Sheriff’s deputy William Troutt, the two were spotted by a man checking on the property who said he is the owner.

 

Jason Duby, 33, and Randy Squire, 29, both of the same address in Lehigh Acres, were released on $1,500 bond from the Lee County Jail, each facing a charge of larceny theft between $10,000 and $20,000. Neither have a prior record.

 

According to Troutt, the pair was found with the steel tracks on the trailer of a white Ford truck.

 

Owner Timothy Miles said he came to check on the property because it has been broken into several times in the past. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw the truck pulling a trailer loaded up with steel from the tracks. Miles followed the pair in his vehicle and called 911. Deputies responded and stopped the truck, arresting the two.

Miles then went back to Zoomers and found that all the tracks had been taken from the parking lot, including tracks that had not been recovered. Miles stated there were other items missing from the parking lot, too, but those items were not immediately determined.

[RCFreak]

I wonder if they're ACErs who wanted their own backyard coaster without doing all of the hard work.

[Mr Stratosphere]

Yeah this is dumb!! Like no one will notice that you have Roller Coaster track.

Wonder what he was going to do with it.

In Las Vegas there has been a growing problem with copper theft, even where people were taking apart street lights to take the wires out. They would take the copper to a recycling center for cash.

 

John

[chemical_echo]

Apparently it was all a misunderstanding. The two usually go around looking for scrap metal to recycle and found the track.

They say that the track was by the curb and looked like it was trash since it was all rusted.

 

Plus, it sounds like the place they took it from has been suffering from some major financial woes. So, really, who knows if the place was actually going to end up building the coaster at all.

 

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080502/NEWS0117/805020379/1092/NEWS01

[Tmcdllr]

Even if the place was having financial problems, it sounds like the track was still their property and there was more than one piece. So all the missing track pieces and other things were by the curb like trash? I don't think so. I would guess if this stuff wasn't in a fenced in area (which would be dumb) then it was still on private property so then it also would become a tresspassing issue too. In that respect...how incredibly dumb of them.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

Pretty silly, I hope to get by there tomorrow and see if it was the acturall coaster that was already installed or if it was just some extra track or parts lying about. Hate when the news cant even get a photo in a story.

[ginzo]

Something about this story isn't adding up. Where does the $10,000 figure come from? Is that the scrap metal value or the value of that portion of the ride?

 

It can't be the scrap metal value because there's no way these bozos stole 91,000 pounds worth of coaster track (assuming $0.11 per pound value).