NEWS: Libertyland could reopen in two weeks!

[coasterdude5]

Just an update on the Libertyland situation!

 

www.wmctv.com

 

This time of year, Libertyland is usually open, the Pippin is zippin and the carousel is crooning. But now, the gates are locked and the park is closed.

 

But Steve Mulroy, the head of the "Save Libertyland" says that could change quickly, "T-Rex has said it could open the park within two weeks."

 

T-Rex is the company that wants to pay the city 10,000 dollars a month to lease Libertyland and use it's own money to renovate the park.

 

So far, the Mid-South Fair board has said no to that proposal but Tuesday night, the Memphis City Council stripped the board of its park power. Mulroy says that could change the fate of the park, "The city is in charge. They'll be in charge of the land and they'll be in charge of all the rides. We can deal with the city about moving forward."

 

Robert Barnard heads T-Rex and is in the process of opening another defunct park in Kansas. He says the new developments could get the park up and running by July, if he gets the ok, "We know their maintenance has been maintained because they were scheduled to have an auction on June 21 and to do that you need to have the rides operational."

 

Barnard says corporate sponsors must promise to rent the park as they have in the past and he wants to keep the park open longer, "We'll run a Halloween event through the month of October and then we'll run a holiday with lights in December."

 

Barnard says he's ready to dive into that plan if the city will take the plunge with him. T-Rex has taken over and turned around several amusement parks around the country. Several city council members said the park should be given one last chance especially since no public money would go into the project and more than 600 inner city teens work here every summer.

 

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?s=4995490

 

 

 

MEMPHIS, TN - The fight for Libertyland is still going around and around like the carousel the Midsouth Fair Board is hoping to sell off. Today, a Memphis City Council Committee made a bold move telling board to pack up and leave.

 

he committee recommended that the city terminate its' lease with the board and have them leave the grounds of libertyland by the end of the year. It also wants the city attorney to take measures to protect all the rides at the park. This in lieu of the fact that the fair board says it will go ahead with the June 21st auction to sell off the rides. But Councilman Dedrick Brittenum says there's not a whole lot to worry about.

 

"How many are going to show up and bid on the rides when there is a dispute in the ownership," said Brittenum.

 

During a May 2nd meeting, the committee along with City Attorney Sara Hall established the city owns the Zippin Pippin and the Grand Carousel. The fair board has decided to take those two rides off of the auction block, at least for now.

 

Steve Mulroy with 'save libertyland' continues to hammer away against the board saying it has no ownership rights at all to any of the rides.

 

"The city and the county entered into bond in order to pay for those rides," said Mulroy. "Basically they should be removed from having access to the property as we speak," said councilman Joe Brown.

 

Today's development is a big step forward for Save Libertyland in terms of possibly saving more rides but it doesn't get them any closer to saving the park. That's because the committee hasn't said what it plans to do with the park once it secures it.

 

Billy Orr with the Midsouth Fair Board had no comment on the committees decision.

[apollo210]

That's great news! I hope they can re open it! But I have a question. How many parks does T-Rex own. I know they own Joyland in Kansas, but I don't know other parks they own.

[TheGreatOne]

I'm not entirely sure they could re-open in two weeks. There's an issue of staffing, bringing in food/supplies/merchandise and getting all of the rides ready for inspected...then having the state come in an inspect them.

 

If they do open sometime this year, I will definitely go there.

[coasterdude5]

^ Actually, the rides were kept up to be operated at the auction. Which (if I understand correctly) has been cancelled. I mean, who wants to buy rides that are having ownership issues?