SFNO/Jazzland Discussion Thread

[ginzo]

This is the gift that keeps giving the whole year 'round.

[DBru]

...but Bob isn't quite as satisfied with this gift...

[The Disneylander]

You've got to be sh*tting me...

[The Alex]

^ No, he's still quite serious about convincing the world that this spot should be his. I don't even consider it a park anymore, it's just a spot.

 

 

 

 

 

I mean, if the Saints can get this close to the Superbowl, maybe SFNO can reopen afterall. Who knows?

[larrygator]

Reading Danny Rogers quote about wanting to build on the site of a former park in New Orleans, he should not give up. rcdb lists 7 others parks that were formerly in New Orleans.

 

If at first you don't succeed try again.

[coasterdude5]

Danny, Denny's is hiring.

[wiyoh1984]

Danny can try all he want, but it just isn't looking great for he nor his "company" not that myself or others have already said that. I say the sh*tty should just liquidate what is left. There are profitable parks out there such as Dixie Landin' and others that are interested in it's contents, redevelop the land for something else, and/or just let nature take its course and it become part of the swamp again.

[wiyoh1984]

http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2009/12/07/six-flags-to-hand-katrina-damaged-park-to-city/

 

 

 

Six Flags Inc. gained bankruptcy-court approval last week to hand a theme park ravaged by Hurricane Katrina over to the City of New Orleans.

 

The deal clears the way for the city to sell the former Six Flags New Orleans to a developer that would reopen the park, but that plan remains on shaky ground. The theme park has been closed since August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina inflicted catastrophic damage and covered the property with several feet of water.

 

Six Flags, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, struck a deal to give control of the property and the idled rides back to New Orleans. The company also agreed to pay the city $3 million and to share a portion of insurance recoveries above $65 million, according to bankruptcy-court documents.

 

The deal halts legal action the city took against Six Flags in connection to keeping the park closed. With control of the property, New Orleans can now move forward with plans to reopen the tourist attraction on the city’s eastern edge.

 

In August, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer joined Mayor Ray Nagin to announce that the park would reopen as “Nickelodeon Universe New Orleans.” But those plans fell apart last month when the children’s cable network pulled out of the deal with Southern Star Amusement, the company that plans to redevelop the site.

 

Southern Star also said last month that it will move ahead with plans to buy the land from the city, even without Nickelodeon.

[wiyoh1984]

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/firm_renews_interest_in_conver.html

 

 

Firm renews interest in converting abandoned Six Flags theme park into eastern New Orleans sports complex

By Richard Thompson, The Times-Picayune

December 11, 2009, 7:19AM

Chris Granger / The Times-PicayuneA California-based firm wants to convert the old Six Flags site in eastern New Orleans into a sprawling sports complex.

A month after cable television giant Nickelodeon backed off plans to redevelop the abandoned Six Flags theme park in eastern New Orleans, representatives from the California-based Big League Dreams renewed their interest this week in the site as a potential home for a new sprawling sports complex.

 

The company, which operates nine recreational sports complexes throughout the country, will research the project during the next three to four months, Pat Knight, its director of new park operations, told members of a City Council committee on Thursday.

 

Under the proposal, New Orleans officials would be responsible for covering the estimated $25 million cost of construction, in exchange for Big League Dreams staffing and maintaining the facility for 30 years.

 

City Council President Arnie Fielkow, who has championed the project, has said the funding could be raised through local, state and federal sources.

 

Much of the cost could later be recouped through direct and indirect spending tied to the park, according to company officials, who have pegged annual figures at around $9 million and $29 million, respectively.

 

Best known for building baseball stadiums that replicate those in Major League Baseball, Big League Dreams complexes often include facilities to play baseball, softball, soccer, in-line hockey, basketball, flag football and volleyball. An arcade and batting cages are available, as well as an on-site restaurant.

 

During the day, the complexes are free to the public, similar to a public park. The company generates revenue by charging local sports leagues to use them at night and by marketing them to regional sports groups that would meet for tournaments.

 

Fielkow, at a hearing for the council's Youth and Recreation Committee, said he is optimistic that the company wouldn't have a problem attracting participants to the facility. "The uniqueness of this is unlike anything that we've ever seen, " he said.

 

Knight, making his pitch to committee members, emphasized that the initial cost would sustain the park for the long-run.

 

"The beauty of it, " he said, "is that once the park is built, you never have to put another dime into it."

 

That was welcome news for committee members, who remarked that the site, once heralded as a tourist attraction, has sat untended for four years.

 

Nickelodeon's announcement last month ended its alliance with Southern Star Amusement, the fledging Louisiana company that had planned to spend more than $150 million on reopening the theme park.

 

And earlier this week, a Delaware court handling the bankruptcy of Six Flags Inc. agreed to allow the company to terminate its lease with New Orleans under an agreement that calls for New Orleans to receive $3 million in cash, as well as 25-percent of the theme park operator's Hurricane Katrina-related insurance proceeds if the amount exceeds $65 million.

 

"I couldn't think of anything better for this community right now, " Fielkow said on the proposal. "This is a project that's going to benefit the entire city, and the entire region."

 

Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said eastern New Orleans residents, who largely expressed support during a community meeting on the plan in August, would particularly benefit from the project's development.

 

"It couldn't be a better place as far as visibility, as far as drawing other parishes into it, " Clarkson said.

 

Richard Thompson can be reached at rthompson@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3300.

[spaceace12]

LEts see, a theme park failed there....a sports complex hasn't been tried. I think a sports complex sounds better then a theme park for the area.

[wiyoh1984]

I wont believe anything until I get an invitation for opening weekend.

[gisco]

Why would a company want that particular piece of property when they are not going to open an amusement park? Why spend the money to clear the land when there is probably open land available in other areas of the city?

 

First clue that this will never be built: They want the city to put up all the money to build it. If this was such a great idea the developer would pay for it.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^If I had the mony to buy a new car, I'd still ask someone to pay my down payment, just to see if they would...

[wiyoh1984]

^ it is all a big mess. No one wants to put money into that site, it is just a money hole.

[jedimaster1227]

I know this is the last thing anyone wants (or cares) to hear, but apparently Danny Rogers of Southern Star Amusements has more projects in the pipeline beyond the very successful acquisition of the former Six Flags New Orleans property.

 

http://unofficialjazzlandinfo.yuku.com/topic/1918/t/Please-keep-out-of-the-park.html

 

I am not trying to take my case to the people, I only answered you as you have been on this blog for some time and I felt I should give you an answer. As to the press all I need do is make a phone call, however that can also make things harder. My company is still here and still working to get the job done, the city will soon have a new Mayor and it may well be the new Mayor who gets this all sorted out. As for Southern Star you will soon start hearing about other projects around the country we are working on. (Sorry I cant say more about that).

 

Toon we have spent 100's of thousands of dollars on this and feel that in the end we will win, by that I mean the park will be rebuilt.

 

All the best of the season!

 

Danny

SSAI

 

I also love the "100's of thousands of dollars" part... Not only is it awful to look at in text, but I can't possibly fathom the idea that they've spent that much on a website, some press releases and on a spokesman that can't type a sentence correctly.

[wiyoh1984]

^ I read that on the SFNO boards too, Danny is such a joke.

[ohiocoasters]

As much as I'd like to think this will happen, It won't. I'll start taking them seriously as soon as they show that they do have money instead of just talking about it.

[monsterfan99]

I'm not even sure he has spent 100's of thousands of pennies on this. Apparently, Danny forgot the part where P.T. Barnum actually produced something to the public instead of all talk.

 

This whole thing does show the power of the internet. Some nut with a url he bought for a few bucks, some basic press releases and just being annoying can be seen as a real prospective business to some.

[jedimaster1227]

Danny Rogers has provided another "oh-so-insightful" update on why Southern Star Amusements isn't already in the park working to get it reopened for a new season... And apparently money isn't the issue... Mayor Ray Nagin is.

 

http://unofficialjazzlandinfo.yuku.com/topic/1918/t/Please-keep-out-of-the-park.html?page=2

 

I do not know this person,and let me clear up a few points for you (and who ever else) 1. We are not looking for investors as we already have them. 2. The offer is in the hands of the Mayor who must approve it before a sale can be made. 3. I still think that the New Orleans Park Project will work 4. In 2009 my company spent over $200,000.00 in efforts to gain this park. 5. Not one cent has been ask for from the Tax Payers of the City or the State. 6. The City of New Orleans now controls the park as well as is responsible for the HUD LOAN PAYMENTS of about 2.4 Million Dollars of YOUR TAX MONEY per year. 7. The City of New Orleans is in a MAJOR budget short fall and taking money from the budget to pay the HUD loan when we are willing to pay it off in full right now is just (you fill in the word).

 

Short answer is there is only one reason we are not already rebuilding the park and his name is Mayor, C. Ray Nagin he is the only one who can give the OK to move forward with the sale of the Park to us. And let me be very clear on this point we are ready to hand the money over tomorrow should the Mayor just OK the sale. Its just that simple. We may all have to wait for the new Mayor to get this done but we are still here, we still have an office open in New Orleans and we are not going to give up the fight to reopen the park!

 

Thanks for all of your support!

 

Danny

SSAI

[spaceace12]

When Nagin is out after this election, what will be his reason then?

 

Just open the dang park, it will just fail again and they can build something useful for New Orleans in its spot. Like a swamp, like it used to be.

[Steelinwood]

There is always a way, but procrastination is not one of them. If they could find a way to channel the water they may be ok. Are there any options for the water?

[Jew]

Again, this guy couldn't even make a good faith payment when it came time to apply for another loan...and now he has the money to open the park?

 

Give me a break.

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/six_flags_site_security_gets_2.html

 

Having taken over responsibility for the shuttered Six Flags amusement park in eastern New Orleans, City Hall now must provide security for the site, and the City Council this week agreed to provide $240,000 for that purpose. After much parliamentary wrangling, the council also approved spending $700,000 to lease a new temporary headquarters for the 5th District police station. Both measures were approved 5-0 Thursday, with Councilwomen Jackie Clarkson and Cynthia Willard-Lewis absent.

 

The Delaware court presiding over the bankruptcy of Six Flags Inc. agreed in December to allow the theme park operator to terminate its lease with the city for the theme park it operated before Hurricane Katrina. The termination agreement called for Six Flags to make a $3 million cash payment to the city. The company also must give New Orleans 25 percent of its net Katrina-related insurance proceeds for the site if the settlement exceeds $65 million.

 

To get the security in place quickly, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Cary Grant said the administration probably would amend an existing contract with a private security company to add the Six Flags site. But council members said $240,000 was too much money to be simply added to a current contract. They voted to require the administration to do a fresh "competitive selection" process to choose the security contractor for the site.

 

Council President Arnie Fielkow said there is "some security" now at the closed park and there is time to go through the competitive process.

 

Referring to Mayor Ray Nagin's announcement in August that cable television giant Nickelodeon would join hands with a fledgling Louisiana company to redevelop the amusement park, Councilwoman Stacy Head said sarcastically, "I thought Nickelodeon was going there." Grant replied, "I don't think so." Nickelodeon pulled out of the project in November, saying that the local company, Southern Star Amusement, had failed to meet contractual requirements and deadlines.

 

The 5th District, displaced from its original building since Katrina in 2005, has been housed since 2007 in the former Universal Furniture building on St. Claude Avenue, but owner Pres Kabacoff recently asked the police to move out, saying the space is needed for other purposes. Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell said she was upset that the city had lost the money it had spent rehabilitating the space the police had occupied. She said she thought a large sum was involved, but Property Management Director Pamela Sims-Smith said the city had spent only about $50,000 on the building and had paid no rent for almost two years. Told that the city's lease for the 5th District's new temporary home provides it cannot be evicted for at least four years, Hedge-Morrell agreed to support the $700,000 appropriation. There was no indication when a permanent 5th District station will be built.

[The Alex]

There's no security for the SFNO site. Not one bit. I have friends who drove right into the parking lot and walked right in to the park. They even made a whole Facebook photo album about it.

 

 

Needless to say, nobody was there to notice.

Except, of course, Bugs Bunny and SongeBob.

[jedimaster1227]

In response to New Orleans' latest security contract, Danny Rogers has something more to say.

 

http://unofficialjazzlandinfo.yuku.com/topic/1940/t/City--spend-240-000--security-contract--Six-Flags-site.html

 

We have been asking the city for security for months now by letter and phone calls, its nice to see that at last some one is doing some thing about it.

 

I hope that with the new Mayor we can get on with rebuilding the park, but for now at long last there will be some security once again. Good for you City of New Orleans I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Southern Star Amusement Inc. still wants to buy and rebuild the park, but you all know that already. We are moving along with other projects and I must say its nice to not have all the BS to deal with. However I will say that I still want to rebuild the park in New Orleans. For now I am far away working on opening another park this year, my first love will always be with the New Orleans park and I hope that this will be the year that the City will sell it to us. For now all we can do is wait for the new Mayor to take office and then we will see.

 

All the best to you all and lets go back to the Super Bowl , Go Saints!

 

Danny

SSAI

 

Working on opening another park eh? Could that park be Freestyle Music Park, Fun Spot Indiana or maybe even Ghost Town in the Sky? Time (and more of those wonderful posts from Danny) will tell.