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Proposed "DreamVision" Park for Muscle Shoals Area


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Another I'll believe it when I see it project.

 

This news comes from a TV station out of Huntsville. I think the station did a great job in their "What we don't know section of the article"

 

New Alabama Park

 

Reports: Amusement park in the works for Shoals area

Friday, January 30, 2015 7:45 pm by Breken Terry

 

Rumor began circulating Friday about a possible theme park opening in Muscle Shoals that could bring thousands of jobs.

 

The DreamVision Company plans to open a 1,400-acre theme park in Muscle Shoals, according to a press release sent out Friday morning. DreamVision Soundscape would be built at the same time as a second DreamVision park in Fort Worth, Texas.

Where's the story? PointsMentioned Map 5 Points Mentioned

 

An announcement is scheduled to take place Feb. 11 at the Marriott Shoals hotel in Florence, according to the release.

 

The cost to build the Muscle Shoals park would be about $3.5 billion, and DreamVision said both parks are being privately funded.

 

It sounds like a lot of investment, but most local officials WAAY 31 spoke with didn't know any more information outside of the news release that was sent out.

 

The exception was state Rep. Lynn Greer. Greer said nothing is set in stone, but that DreamVision has been looking at Colbert and Lauderdale counties since the fall for possible locations. Greer said he could not give more details because of a confidentiality agreement.

 

No city officials were notified of the big news either. Steve Holt, the Shoals Chamber of Commerce President says he doesn't see any red flags by not being notified by the company.

 

"They might be approaching the community in an entirely different way than someone else would," said Holt.

 

Holt says he started hearing rumors earlier this week. After he heard more news today he called the Fort Worth Texas Chamber of Commerce, which is another town DreamVision plans to build a theme park, to get the scoop.

 

"They were well aware of the company, and had been working with them for I guess over two years. Of course from their perspective it's a confidential on going project," said Holt.

 

If the theme park did go up it would create 20,000 jobs for the Shoals according to DreamVision, which might be tough to handle.

 

"Our non agricultural work force is about 57,000," said Holt.

 

Debbie Wilson, the Florence Lauderdale Tourism Director, was not contacted by the company either. Despite the fact that a theme park would be a huge tourism boost.

 

"Usually if its a tourism project we are contacted," said Wilson.

 

Wilson says with this being such a large scale project many factors would play into it like jobs.

 

"In a project like that your talking about construction, engineering, maintenance. So I think that would be a challenge that our economic development people would be up for," said Wilson.

 

While many in the Shoals are excited about the news some point out its best to be cautious with things like this because other proposed theme parks in the state have fallen through in the past.

 

What we know:

 

DreamVision's news release states the company wants to build a 1,400-acre theme park in the Muscle Shoals area. It would cost an estimated $3.5 billion and employ anywhere from 15,000-20,000 people. That's more jobs than the entire population of Muscle Shoals.

State Rep. Lynn Greer of Lauderdale County confirmed DreamVision has been looking at the area for a theme park since last fall. He won't disclose more information, citing a confidentiality agreement.

State Sen. Arthur Orr, a member of the state budget committee who is active in economic development for north Alabama, said "I have no knowledge of such a project coming to north Alabama. Usually large amusement parks are built in major metropolitan areas."

Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield said "There has been no contact made with Commerce relative to any discussions about this rumored project."

DreamVision announced in August 2013 it was moving its corporate headquarters from Florida to Fort Worth, Texas. DreamVision still has an animation business in Clermont, Fla., that renewed its LLC status on Jan. 5.

A representative with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce said the company will announce its plans for a theme park in Fort Worth on Feb. 9, and has chosen a site in the area where it wants to build a park there.

 

What we don't know:

 

Why DreamVision is interested in Muscle Shoals as a location for a theme park.

Where DreamVision's private funding is coming from.

Why DreamVision released the information about what could be one of the biggest developments in north Alabama history to only one media outlet in Birmingham, the Birmingham Business Journal.

Edited by robbalvey
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Hmm, is this same park from this thread. www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68514&hilit=DreamVision

 

Wait are they trying to say they are going to build two large theme parks at once?

DreamVision Soundscape would be built at the same time as a second DreamVision park in Fort Worth, Texas.

Where's the story? PointsMentioned Map 5 Points Mentioned

Yeah, I don't see this happening.
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Yeah right, here we go again. I guess it's been a few months since the last multi-billion dollar theme park proposition. They always make a bunch of headlines, then suddenly disappear and we never hear from them again.

 

Why do these flash-in-the-pan "investors" always use such unrealistic locations and numbers? Who really thinks that anyone with $3.5 BILLION dollars is going to hedge it on a massive amusement park in northern Alabama. There's probably room for another small-medium size park in that appoximate area between Huntsville, Memphis, and Nashville, but why go stupid with it? If they had said a $100 million park, I'd be excited because that would actually be a realistic proposition.

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Yeah right, here we go again. I guess it's been a few months since the last multi-billion dollar theme park proposition. They always make a bunch of headlines, then suddenly disappear and we never hear from them again.

 

Why do these flash-in-the-pan "investors" always use such unrealistic locations and numbers? Who really thinks that anyone with $3.5 BILLION dollars is going to hedge it on a massive amusement park in northern Alabama. There's probably room for another small-medium size park in that appoximate area between Huntsville, Memphis, and Nashville, but why go stupid with it? If they had said a $100 million park, I'd be excited because that would actually be a realistic proposition.

 

North Mississippi would make more sense. It least the Memphis area is a crossroads with a huge airport with tons of excess capacity. There's not a decent airport in over an hour from here. No, Huntsville doesn't qualify. It's like they threw out this location to see if some of the other areas would bite and approach them to move a little north, east or west.

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Muscle Shoals has been in the spotlight a little more recently with the release of the movie documenting all the music recorded there back in the 70's...Rolling Stones, Aretha, Skynyrd, etc. and more recently the revival with the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, The Kills, and the Dr. Dre/Beats interest in Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. I'm suspicious of this development though.

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Muscle Shoals has been in the spotlight a little more recently with the release of the movie documenting all the music recorded there back in the 70's...Rolling Stones, Aretha, Skynyrd, etc. and more recently the revival with the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, The Kills, and the Dr. Dre/Beats interest in Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. I'm suspicious of this development though.

 

Watch Take Me to the River documentary about Memphis Music.

Bruno Marr's Uptown Funk, recorded at the Royal in Memphis.

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They announced two press events coming up on their website. Click here thedreamvisioncompany.com

 

2/9 @11am for the Texas Press Event

2/11 @11am for the Alabama Press Event

 

I wonder what will be said. Interesting.

 

Bump to remind of the Alabama press event this morning. Here's an interview with DreamVision leaders: http://whnt.com/2015/02/11/exclusive-dreamvision-company-executives-answer-questions-one-on-one-with-lee-marshall-ahead-of-announcement/

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Watching online, seems like the same speeches they gave in Ft. Worth.

 

Listening to this provident guy, he is not prepared at all, similar to Ft. Worth. Keeps talking about why Muscle Shoales and he says its because he lives there and sees all the press there, and because it's special, and because they have recording studios there. A lot of words, especially the word 'hope' but not a lot of substance.

 

He also says that the project is fully funded. Take that for what it's worth as he begs for community support.

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Just tuned in... It's already so cringeworthy... The guy is speaking currently is obviously not a public speaker. He keeps talking about reputations and keeps making assurances that they have it figured out, despite not having any details other than "important people are involved". I've seen high-schoolers give more convincing presentations.

 

Oh, and now another speaker is coming on, and he's already talking about Disney again.

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This has to be a joke.... These guys have their heads so far in the clouds that it seriously isn't funny any more. Seeing all these crazy outlandish plans presented in such a crappy and unpolished manner is driving me nuts. They're going to waste a whole lot of someone's money and muddy up the reputation of the industry.

 

I mean, there are so many bizarre things big and small to point out that I'm not even going to start. Let's hope they encounter reality sooner rather than later and give it up.

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Here are some screen grabs, I've learned they don't have the drawings available for whatever reason. Also said location same as Ft. Worth, chosen but unannounced.

Capture.thumb.PNG.62bdc126b94ef0bd9db2346fcdc76bad.PNG

This is music mountain, inside they will have coasters and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (to be relocated)

Capture1.thumb.PNG.9c09c5c9fa75a395d3dea5b98e8b1376.PNG

Map view

Capture3.thumb.PNG.8818e0329bd70e9fa79f5f84d7126368.PNG

inside the mountain

Capture4.thumb.PNG.9d53b8acc8e01788c65f0b3ef135cc28.PNG

will have some sort of drive in movie ride

Capture5.thumb.PNG.13be3b626d41147a6f0ea4e515ff1fe2.PNG

some sort of ride the musical notes while on a turntable. teacup type ride? idk

Capture6.thumb.PNG.b314f064a09d1ed121808503fbb8adea.PNG

Gospel shows and stuff over here

Capture7.thumb.PNG.9ab7eb67558426092818a053911262b6.PNG

choo choo to take you places around the park

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^^Looks like they drew them with chalk.

 

It looks to me like a collection of pictures gathered from a fourth-grade art class who were instructed to draw something about a music theme park. Just awful.

 

Well, at least this is providing us something to laugh at in the offseason.

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I know I said there's too much bizzareness to even bother starting a list, but I can't help it:

 

The announcement made a big freaking deal about how the Alabama Music Hall of Fame would be moved into the park as part of the giant 'Music Mountain' thing, but they haven't even talked to the museum about it yet. So this supposed major partner of the project heard about this apparent plan today for the first time from the announcement. These people can't be serious...

 

http://www.waaytv.com/appnews/dreamvision-the-new-home-to-alabama-music-hall-of-fame/article_2b1a91c0-b21b-11e4-bc1e-ef4a7c040793.html

 

Sentell said there simply hasn't been any discussion about moving the Alabama Music Hall of Fame from its current home.

 

"I'm frankly a little surprised that someone would make a bold claim that an important museum like this would be moving to a location that has a long way to go," Sentell said.

 

And not only have they not discussed moving the Hall of Fame. Sentell said they haven't spoken with anyone on the state level about the development.

"Traditionally when people plan economic development projects of any size, they usually visit with state and local officials weeks and months ahead and come up with concrete plans," he said. "That has not been the case."

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