Hoffman's Playland to close in Colonie, NY

[larrygator]

The big loss here will be one of the remaining Lusse Auto Skooters. The ones here run as good, if not better, than the ones at Knoebels.

 

On the other hand, if Knoebel's acquires the cars, it provides long term feasibility of their classic.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2014/07/11/hoffmans-playland-news-spins-faster-than-the.html

 

Hoffman's Playland news spins faster than the Scrambler

Michael DeMasi- Albany Business Review

 

If the whirlwind of news this week surrounding Hoffman's Playland in Colonie, New York, makes it feel like you just stepped off the Scrambler, here's a recap:

 

Owners David and Ruth Hoffman are calling it quits after 40 years running the Route 9 amusement park, but they aren't going to spend their golden years kicking back in a rocking chair.

 

After a planned auction of the equipment, they will pursue a mixed-use redevelopment of the eight acres. A template for what could happen is next door, where construction continues on the $70 million Village at New Loudon.

 

Although the park is closing for good Sept. 14, there is a narrow window of time to save the rides and move them to an alternate site before they're sold to the highest bidder. Town and county government officials aren't giving up trying to save the park, though the odds are long a viable plan will fall into place.

 

The park, opened by David Hoffman's father, Bill, in 1952, holds special memories for scores of people, and they let their feelings know on social media after the Albany Business Review broke the story.

 

Still, it shouldn't have come as a surprise. The Hoffmans let it be known a year ago they wanted to retire, but they didn't specify a date and left open the possibility the park could be preserved if the right buyer stepped up.

 

The Hoffman name is well-known locally, with various branches of the large, extended family involved in hotels, car washes, apartments and other businesses. They trace their entrepreneurial roots to a small, private lake in Colonie.

Edited February 17, 2015 by larrygator

[CaryB]

Auto Skooters have been akin to me lately next to roller coasters.

 

I rode some in OaksPark in Oregon a while back, amazing "jaw-jarring" bumper action. Same action in Tivoli Gardens.

 

Are these Skooters the same manufacturer?

[thrillrider]

Sad news.

 

I went to this park a few years back to find it closed because of a rain shower that passed by in the morning.

 

Here are a few pictures I was able to snag while there(bottom of page)

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=54798&p=878632&hilit=hoffmans#p878632

[beatle11]

Someone could come along and buy the Auto Skooters. Great Escape is close by and they have bought used rides in the past.

[larrygator]

Auto Skooters have been akin to me lately next to roller coasters.

 

I rode some in OaksPark in Oregon a while back, amazing "jaw-jarring" bumper action. Same action in Tivoli Gardens.

 

Are these Skooters the same manufacturer?

 

I believe Oaks Park removed their Lusse cars 2-3 years ago. The current cars at Tivoli Gardens run well but are not Lusse.

 

I could be wrong but the only place with a whole arena of Lusse cars in 2014 will be Knoebels.

 

After 50% of the cars at Keansburg are Lusse

[Philrad71]

I should have done my homework as I never even knew that there was an amusement park near Albany! We could have checked this out last Saturday before we went to the Paul McCartney show as we were driving around just looking for things to do.

 

Sad to see the park close it's doors.

[robbalvey]

QUICK! The credit whores need to book their flights now to get this kiddie coaster credit in before it's gone forever!!!

[cfc]

^Screw the kiddie coaster! It's all about the Skooters!

[Devins3]

Aw man I didn't even realize that they had Lusse bumper cars there, I live like 20 minutes away from there but haven't been since I was a kid. I will have to go back this year before they close, especially knowing they have good bumper cars there now.

[DirkFunk]

 

I could be wrong but the only place with a whole arena of Lusse cars in 2014 will be Knoebels.

 

Seaside, Oregon. Fascination parlor there too.

[larrygator]

The rumor of the park's death may be greatly exaggerated. Ok, to be fair the park will no longer exist in old name or location, but may be moved in the future.

 

http://blog.timesunion.com/newsnow/churchill-price-to-relocate-hoffmans-playland-650k/274/

 

Price to relocate Hoffman’s Playland: $650K

Posted on October 7, 2014 | By Michael Huber, timesunion.com

 

Could an amusement park really lead the revitalization of North Albany?

 

Should a private developer receive $650,000 in grants to support a $1.8 million relocation plan?

Price to relocate Hoffman’s: $650K

hoffmans

 

Hoffman’s Playland sign Tuesday, July 8, 2014, in Colonie, N.Y. The 62-year-old amusement park will close at the end of the summer. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

 

So now we know what it will cost to relocate Hoffman’s Playland to Huck Finn’s Warehouse and More.

 

The North Albany furniture store is set to receive $650,000 in grants to support a $1.8 million relocation plan. Under a proposal to be reviewed Wednesday by the Albany County Industrial Development Agency, Huck Finn’s would receive $250,000 from National Grid; $250,000 from Empire State Development, the state’s economic development arm; and $150,000 from the IDA itself.

 

“We are trying desperately to save the Playland for the Capital District,” Huck Finn’s owner Jeff Sperber wrote in an email. “To my knowledge, there are no other options to keep these beloved rides in the area.”

 

Sperber says he intends to relocate the park, intact, to land adjacent to the Erie Boulevard store in North Albany. According to the IDA application, Sperber hopes to construct a 1,500-square-foot building that would include bathrooms, concessions, ticket sales and more.

 

As nearly everyone in the Capital Region almost certainly knows, Hoffman’s Playland operated for decades along Route 9 in Newtonville, but closed for good last month. Its owners, David and Ruth Hoffman, have said they plan to redevelop the valuable suburban site.

 

Moving the park to North Albany would mean moving it from suburbia to a very different environment — a gritty, largely industrial area between Interstate 787 and the bars and restaurants of the Warehouse District.

 

That means, of course, that the park’s jobs would move to an area where there are few employment opportunities, especially for teenagers. Huck Finn’s Playland, as the park would be called, would have 150 seasonal employees, according to the IDA application.

 

“It’s going to create jobs for the North End of Albany, a needy part of Albany,” said Gary Domalewicz, who heads the IDA. “There just aren’t that many jobs in North Albany that kids can walk to.”

 

Huck Finn’s is not requesting additional tax breaks, Domalewicz added.

 

The move has broad support from elected officials, as evidenced by identically worded letters in support of the grant from the National Grid Economic Development Department. The letters were signed by County Executive Dan McCoy, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Assemblyman John McDonald and other officials.

 

“The relocation of the original Hoffman’s Playland amusement park rides and attractions to 25 Erie Blvd. in the city of Albany is a monumental step towards the revitalization of an industrial area that has long been blighted and depressed,” the letters say, adding that “the new Huck Finn’s Playland will be the centerpiece of an area on the cusp of major revitalization.”

 

No doubt, the plan is a coup for Albany. But only time will reveal if the region’s families will embrace the more urban location — even one with a long history of amusement parks.

 

A site just a short distance to the north, along the Menands border, was once home to Pleasure Island, a grand turn-of-the-century theme park that included a riverfront boardwalk lined by rides, games and a roller coaster. The park faded by the 1920s.

 

Last Thursday, when I last wrote about the potential Hoffman’s relocation, the Albany County IDA was refusing to release application details ahead of its Wednesday meeting — additional evidence that IDAs too often operate in secrecy. The agency reversed its stance after the column’s publication.

 

Still, most public officials have declined to speak publicly about the move. A news conference is planned for Wednesday afternoon at Hoffman’s Playland.

 

To accommodate the park and its parking needs, Huck Finn’s is proposing to lease neighboring land at 35 Erie Blvd. that’s now owned by the city of Albany’s water board. Huck Finn’s has placed a $50,000 deposit on the rides, with the purchase conditional on getting necessary approvals from the city of Albany, the IDA application says.

 

Sperber, noting that the park will be visible from interstates 90 and 787, said the plan is the result of months of work.

 

“We are talking to every agency that we are aware of that is in the business of saving businesses, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth,” he said. “The reality is (that) if we are successful in our attempt to save the Playland and revitalize North Albany, the taxpayers will be the beneficiaries.”

 

Could an amusement park really lead the revitalization of North Albany?

 

We just might find out.

[jedimaster1227]

It'd be nice to see the park come back, even if it is in a different form with a different location. It's always a shame to see a park close, so seeing one reopen definitely takes the sting out of it!

[larrygator]

It appears that the grants that were being sought have been approved by National Grid, the Empire State Development and the Albany County Industrial Development Agency.

 

http://www.bethlehemspotlight.com/news/2014/oct/15/hoffmans-playland-move-set/

 

Hoffman's Playland move set

Huck Finn’s Warehouse and More receives $650k in grants to relocate beloved amusement park rides

 

By John Purcell

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

 

ALBANY COUNTY — The “more” in Huck Finn’s Warehouse and More has taken on a whole new meaning after plans were announced to move the rides from Hoffman’s Playland to the store in North Albany.

 

David and Ruth Hoffman, owners of Hoffman’s Playland, took one last ride on the amusement park’s train Wednesday, Oct. 8, before announcing a deal with Huck Finn’s to keep the rides within Albany County. The new Huck Finn’s Playland will cost $1.8 million to open, with $650,000 provided through grants. The push to save the park, or at least the equipment, was started through an outpouring of community support.

 

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said he was determined to keep the park in the county and not have the rides separated and shipped out to buyers across the country.

 

“Over a year ago, when they announced they were retiring, there was a lot of heartache, and not just here in Albany County,” said McCoy. "We handled a ton of phone calls in our offices from people in California, Seattle, Florida and Mississippi talking about the experience they had here as children growing up.”

 

Hoffman’s Playland has been a community staple in the Town of Colonie ever since Bill Hoffman opened the amusement park in 1952. For 62 years, the park has seen thousands of kids coming and going, ready with tickets to ride the train. Bill’s son, David, and his wife, Ruth, have kept the park running for decades.

 

“Many children, both young and old, were disappointed and heartbroken,” said David Hoffman, “but through the entire summer, hundreds of guests wished us all the best in retirement.”

 

A “Save Hoffman’s Playland” Facebook page was started up soon after the impending closure was announced. It has garnered more than 20,000 likes with many memories shared.

 

The Hoffmans had been thinking about retirement for several years before officially making the announcement in June 2013. Back in July, the Hoffmans told Spotlight News that the decision was not easy, as the park held lifelong memories. “It’s something we started thinking about several years ago, and we realized that if you don’t plan ahead, it is not a business you can easily exit from,” David Hoffman said in July. “It’s a unique set of circumstances. But my wife and I have been running the park for 40 years and started to feel that the time was right for us to step down.”

 

After a year of decision-making and planning, the park’s doors closed for good this year on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Playland stayed open two hours past its 6 p.m. closing time to accommodate the scores of people who wanted to take one last train ride, or another spin on the Ferris wheel.

 

Hoffman said Jeff Sperber, president of Huck Finn’s, is serious about preserving the history of the park and making sure future generations create their own memories.

 

“We started working on this many, many months ago,” said Sperber. “The Playland will live on.”

 

Huck Finn’s will receive a $250,000 grant from National Grid, another $250,000 grant from Empire State Development, and $150,00 from the Albany County Industrial Development Agency. There are no tax breaks being awarded for the project.

 

The project is expected to create 150 seasonal jobs at the park, and it’s expected to be open for the 2015 season. Huck Finn’s Playland is also hoping to boost tourism to the area because it is visible from the intersection of 787 and I-90.

 

“We will move everything that families love about this park to a location next to our business in North Albany,” said Sperber. “The new Warehouse District under Mayor Sheehan is beginning a major transformation and rapidly becoming an area for residents of all ages to enjoy.”

 

Before the Huck Finn deal was finalized, the Hoffmans were planning to auction the Playland’s equipment if arrangements to keep the rides within the Capital District did not surface.

 

Originally, the Hoffmans planned to sell the park, but recent developments around the land did not leave the sale as a viable option. The Hoffmans are looking to develop the property with a mixed residential and commercial usage.

 

David Hoffman handed the key to the park’s old No. 99 train to Sperber to finalize the deal.

 

“You are the new engineer,” said Hoffman.

[larrygator]

It appears the transition and move of this small park has gone well with an anticpated memorial Day opening

 

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Playland-aims-for-Memorial-Day-opening-6084004.php

 

Playland aims for Memorial Day opening in new location

By Tim O'Brien, Times Union

 

Never mind the weather outside, Huck Finn's Playland — the successor to the long-beloved Hoffman's Playland — is starting to sell tickets for the rides this summer.

 

The amusement park is projected to open on Memorial Day at its new location at 25 Erie Blvd., next to Huck Finn's Warehouse and More furniture store.

 

Owner Jeff Sperber cautions the opening date is tentative based on how cooperative the weather is.

 

"It's going to be a challenge because there is an awful lot to do," he said. "I wouldn't want to promise anything."

 

Some of the rides are in his company's possession.

 

"We have a lot of stuff down here," he said. "We're doing the kind of off-season stuff that's always been done: repairing, reupholstering."

 

A website for the park, http://wwww.hucksplayland.com, is up and running. It offers a book of 25 tickets for the ride for $25 through Feb. 26.

 

The rides will cost $1.75 for one ticket, $12.25 for eight tickets and $29.95 for a book of 25.

 

Each ticket buys access to 13 kiddie rides, with two tickets required for each of the major rides. There will not be an admission charge to enter the park.

 

Sperber said calls come in every week, and sometimes daily, asking about tickets.

 

"We did that because we were getting requests every week from people. They wanted to give them as gifts," he said.

 

In 2013, owners David and Ruth Hoffman first said they were looking to retire and close Hoffman's Playland after its more than 60 years in business.

 

Last year, the couple said they planned to close the park at summer's end and auction the rides if a buyer could not be found. They wanted the purchaser to move the rides so they could develop the increasingly valuable Route 9 land on which the park long operated in Newtonville.

 

The decision led to an outpouring of community support for keeping the amusement park in the Capital Region.

 

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy made several attempts to find a buyer, and Sperber stepped up to acquire the rides.

 

The Albany County Industrial Development Agency and the Capital Resource Corporation approved some $61,000 in sales tax breaks to accompany a $150,000 grant from the county.

 

The IDA also agreed to be a conduit for $500,000 in additional grants — $250,000 each from the state and National Grid — to move the rides, including 1950s-era bumper cars.

 

On the new Playland website, a countdown clock on Monday listed 97 days until the park opens. Commemorative bricks are also being sold to raise money.

 

It lists the hours as noon to 9 p.m. every day, and a form enables people to apply for a summer job there.

 

"The anticipation and excitement about it has not waned since the announcement," Sperber said. "We're getting a lot of job applications."

 

Hoffman's had 150 employees last season, he said, so he expects to hire a similar number for this year.

 

"When we open, we expect it to be bedlam we certainly will be prepared for and able to handle," he said.

[thrillrider]

This is great news.

 

I tried to visit Hoffmans a few years ago, but due to a morning rain shower they were closed the entire day This will be on my list of parks this summer.