SFNO/Jazzland Discussion Thread

[Jew]

^^Weren't those underwater?

[spaceace12]

I found some pics on UER with some kids that broke in SFNO. They were inside a gift shop...It's never gonna open.

 

could you provide a link? If it can't be posted on here, can you pm me it. I tried looking for it.

 

As for the trains, I don't know if they were underwater or not, probably so, but maybe they refurbished them.

[astroworldfan1]

^^Weren't those underwater?

 

As for the trains, I don't know if they were underwater or not, probably so, but maybe they refurbished them.

 

I would probably say that the trains for the Mega Zeph were not underwater. The Mega Zeph's station is pretty high off the ground. The trains could have been on the transfer track or in the station. I think I saw a couple of pictures after the hurricane with the trains in the station.

 

Engineers say the Mega Zeph is salvagable!

 

-Tatum

[kraken613]

I wouldnt think this would ever reopen. Too much has been taken down or moved.

[astroworldfan1]

My mom read in a newspaper where some city officals are going to Disney, and holding a pressconfrence. The article said that they want to try to redevelope SFNO into a sports complex. Sorta like Wide World of Sports.

 

I'm thinking this won't happen. What happens if we have another major hurricane? They already have a sports/waterpark complex in Biloxi (Gulf Shores) Miss. N.O dosen't have the tourism economy like it once had. I don't know where this is going, but it would be nice for this to happen.

 

-Tatum

[coasterdude5]

I think the waterpark idea would be the best route in this situation. They could even try to salvage old parts of the themepark.

[kraken613]

^

Thats a good idea. I think it would be nice if they did something and didnt just have it sit around.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

The only photo I have seen of the water level around the station is this one. In the collection that was on line this is the closest one to the station as no other photos were of the actuall station. If you look to the far left you can see how the lift hill starts to level off at the bottom and would appear that as mentioned that the station was above the water level. So its possible that the trains are still usable all though they may have gotten a good soaking. However I would assume that they would need a rebuild.

[stingrock23]

This park should never re-open. I think a waterpark could work, but a theme park definitely will not.

[texcoaster]

IMO the park was still too small. It was new and there wasnt a single ride there that wasnt at any other SF park to make me wanna even stop there passing through. All parks are destination places if they have enough attractions and not the leftovers from other parks. SFNO was a sorry tired park like SF Astroworld. Each year SF had the park I was hoping that something was added that would make me wanna drive down for a weekend, but nothing was ever added worth driving to even if i lived there.

 

I thought the same thing... I almost didn't even stop on the way back home from my big coaster trip that first year it was open. The only reason that I did was to add a few more easy credits, since the parking lot was almost empty and I didn't have much time.

 

That was when MegaZeph rocked my world. It was my #1 wood coaster until this year, when Voyage took it down.

 

Fire, I KNOW YOU. I think you'd have LOVED that coaster. It was brutal in all the right ways and had violent airtime. The second drop into the curving, nearly-flat bunnyhop was one of most wicked one-two punches of any coaster anywhere.

[Darksin]

Yuck, UER!

 

Sorry that needed said. However I would seriously doubt the credibility of anything listed on their website as the fact that many people over there have the tendency to use other peoples pictures and take credit for them. However unless your into UE or praticed in the art of trespassing I wouldn't reccomend trying it for youself. Places like SFNO aren't the best of places to get into or to get around in without being discovered.

[spaceace12]

A company is trying to buy the park!

 

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/water_park_pitched_for_six_fla.html

 

A California native who has been in the "amusement business" since he was a pre-teen has asked the city to approve a $70 million plan that would convert Six Flags New Orleans into a "world-class" attraction with twice as many rides and a water park by next summer.

DAVID GRUNFELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNESix Flags was inundated by Katrina flood waters in 2005.

 

Edward Blakely, the city's recovery czar, said today he received the proposal this week from Danny Rogers of Southern Star Amusement Group that included a "commitment letter" from William Prip, a vice president of Six Flags Inc.

 

"We got it today," Blakely said. "We'll assess the proposal against other proposals, including a sports complex and look at the role the city would play."

 

Rogers said his non-incorporated company in Bay St. Louis will neither own nor operate the amusement park.

 

"It will be investor owned, controlled and operated," he said today.

 

The park opened in eastern New Orleans near Interstate -10 in May 2000 as Jazzland Theme Park. Six Flags took over the park lease in 2002. The park has been closed since it was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

 

The written proposal from Southern Star Amusement Group calls for:

 

-- Installing a water park for the 2009 season at a cost of $7 million -- phase one of a $20 million, five-phase water park development.

 

-- Creating a "world-class amusement park" open year round.

 

-- Providing 60 rides, nearly doubling the 32 rides formerly at Six Flags.

 

-- Adding five entertainment areas -- with names such as Area 51, Tumble Weed Gulch, Cricket Creek Bog, Fort Thunder and Country Fair -- that "will provide much needed shade" from the sun.

 

-- Adding an RV park so visitors will stay longer.

 

-- Encouraging entrepreneurs to buy land in front of the park in eastern New Orleans and develop it as a hotel complex which would be later linked to the park by a light rail system.

 

Rogers, 56, said he started working on the proposal about six months ago after coming to New Orleans "to discover which rides at Six Flags were salvageable."

 

Rogers declined to provide details about financing his proposal.

 

The investors will determine what the company will be, he said, and "our investment banker" will provide (the city) all the information necessary as this progresses."

 

As part of its assessment, the city will determine the legitimacy of the financing for the project.

 

Prip said Six Flags Inc. owns 86 acres at the amusement park site in eastern New Orleans and leases another 54 acres from the city. Southern Star Amusement is one of two companies that have inquired about the site, Prip said, but he declined to discuss details of the inquiries.

 

In the correspondence provided Blakely, Prip writes: "This letter confirms that Six Flags is engaged in good faith discussions with Southern Star Amusement Group regarding a potential transaction in which SSAG will purchase our interest in the ground lease and Six Flags-owned land."

 

If the leased property were to be assigned to another entity, the city's approval would be required, Prip said.

 

Details about the status of the Six Flags lease with the city were not immediately available.

 

City Council President Arnie Fielkow has pitched the idea of creating a Disney-like sports complex for professional, amateur and high school athletes. Six Flags, he has said, would be an ideal location for such a development.

 

all I will say is interesting.

 

(I thought about creating a new topic, but just bumped this one)

[MrSkyWhirl]

That's great news. Even if it doesn't end up happening, great to hear that there are at least a couple of groups interested. Seemed like Jazzland/SFNO was never a strong performer PRIOR to Katrina/Rita, and now with half the population gone I can only assume they'd be banking on tourists to be a big part of their draw (especially with the type of up front investment that'd be needed to get it back up and running).

 

I would love to see what the park looks like now ... does anyone know of any recent pictures posted anywhere?

[spaceace12]

I would imagine that is just like it was when the water was there minue the water and Batman. Another interesting part, it has taken NO almost 3 years to get where they are now and the park is going to be ready in a year (last report I seen, parts were back to normal while others hadn't been touched).

[coasterbill]

Luckily the storm destroyed most of the flat rides so Six Flags doesn't have to do that themselves. Just throw up some smoking area signs and that place is ready to go tomorrow.

[WildStangAlex]

This development sounds incredible. 60 rides, when only 32 now exist. Themed areas, shade, RV park, hotel complex, even light rail. It sounds like a mini Cedar Point.

 

That being said, I do not think that it would be a sound investment. I mean sure, it is in a great location for tourist traffic, especially during Mardi Gras. However, if something like Katrina were to happen again, the investment would become just plain debt. I think if a theme park were to open again, it should be pretty far inland to avoid flooding.

 

Afterall, SFGAm has a nice Orleans Place and Mardi Gras sections.

[stingrock23]

I think a waterpark would work, but I just don't see a full scale park surviving. I've already accepted the fact that the park probably won't re-open.

[CoasterGuy06]

SFNO was losing money pre Katrina. I just don't see how it (and even bigger than before) will survive post Katrina.

[DBru]

I didn't realize the park only lasted 5 years. I would love to see this happen, but I don't think it will...

 

60 rides? What other parks does this compare to?

[montezooma]

Here's my 2 cents...

 

Never gonna happen, but for if some unexplainable reason it does get out there the first year cause it wont be around for long.

 

- Shane "who worked for six flags when they aquired the park and was privy to the numbers" Huish

[astroworldfan1]

I'm so hoping this will happen. Danny from Southern Star Amusements seems really into it, and he seems like he knows what he's doing.

 

But, can't they just use the same levees that kept the water in the park, and use them to keep the water out? I mean the levees by Mega Zeph and the Interstate.

 

As a native Louisanaian, and being close to SFNO I'd love for it to re-open. Im praying this will happen.

 

Oh, and the Jester (it was Blue and Lime Green) is now it's original colors!!!

 

-Tatum "Where there's a will, there's a way" G.

[RIP Psyclone]

Anyone ever noticed how similar SFNO is to SBNO? Kinda ironic.

 

Swimming, but not operating.

Soaked/Soaking, but not operating.

Submerged, but not operating.

[HHN Dylan]

Wow, its such a shame what happend. I remember back awhile ago i went there, it was really great fun.

[coolhandluke]

60 rides? What other parks does this compare to?

 

Six Flags Great America has 62, Great Adventure has 57. I believe Cedar Point lays claim to the most with 76.

[ttd rox]

As I looked at some of the pictures, that would be awesome to go on a coaster with it flooded! Some of them, the track is under water. That would be the ultimate "splashdown pool" for a coaster! Can't wait for the park to re-open!