NEWS: Bell's Amusement Park May Come Back

[Shavethewhales]

Bell's Amusement Park (formerly located in Tulsa, OK), has signed a new lease with nearby Wagoner County. If voters approve of a quarter-cent sales tax increase, the funds raised will be used to help Bell's buy new property and also bring in a new animal shelter and expo center.

 

Nothing is set in stone yet, of course, but I personally hold lots of hope that the vote will go through. A quarter cent sales tax increase is a small price to pay for a new amusement park, animal shelter and expo center. Some parts of Bell's reputation may stand in the way, but anyone who actually visited the park will know that most of the negative things thrown at Bell's are false. The new location out in the boon-docks will cut out a lot of the troubles they had in urban Tulsa anyway.

 

Can't wait to see Zingo and any new rides they might add.

 

Here's an article:

 

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100525_12_A11_WAGONE962262&archive=yes

 

WAGONER — Bell's Amusement Park, a Tulsa attraction for more than 50 years, could have a new home soon.

 

Wagoner County Commissioners on Monday approved a resolution to relocate the park in the county, pending the passage of a sales-tax increase in July.

 

"I'm in a daze," said Robby Bell, the grandson of the founder of the park, which opened in 1951.

 

"So are my parents and my wife and my kids. This is what we were born to do. We're ready to go. We're ecstatic and happy.

 

"Hopefully, the citizens of Wagoner County will vote yes. If they do, we're going to build an amusement park out there."

 

In November 2006, the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, which operates the fairgrounds, chose not to renew the amusement park's lease.

 

On Monday, Bell signed a 50-year lease with Wagoner County with an option for a 25-year extension, he said.

 

Money from a quarter-cent sales-tax increase that Wagoner County voters will consider July 27 would be used to buy property to relocate the park and its famous Zingo roller coaster, Bell said.

 

Other plans in the proposition include an exposition center and an animal shelter, he said.

 

The park reportedly would be built in Coweta, although Bell wouldn't confirm that.

 

"We need to be right off a highway," he said. "They know that. So as long as they secure property right off a highway, so it's easy for people to get to, I think we'll be fine."

 

Plans for the venture began when Bell

had lunch with County Commissioner Tom Vincent last summer, Bell said.

 

"I didn't hear from him again until about five weeks ago," he said. "Then, boom. It just snowballed."

 

Vincent couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

 

ADMIN EDIT: I went ahead and updated the subtitle to include a little bit of additional information and have moved the story link to the top of the quote. Thanks for sharing this with us!

Edited May 26, 2010 by jedimaster1227

[thrillrider]

This is great news.

 

This is a park I passed going to when I had the chance, and I am now regretting it. Didn't they have a great dark ride as well as a wood coaster?

[gisco]

Interesting, what is the condition of the coaster right now? Is it SBNO?

 

One thing that is not mentioned is the time frame to open the park if the measure does pass.

[thrillrider]

I think they took the coaster apart and put it in storage.

[Shavethewhales]

They did have a massive two-story Bill Tracy dark ride. They still have a lot of the old props, but any re-incarnation will be pretty much completely different. They actually had planned to replace it at the old location with a new re-incarnation anyway.

 

Robby confirmed in another report that Zingo will be back, but no formal plans for the new park have been drawn up yet. I assume they can get it open by next summer though if they are allowed to move quickly.