Re-open Six Flags! {merged}

[Trell]

I just did a little research and Jazzland is more than likely the front runner of the mall don't go threw. And for the 0% chance, that's not true, the mall is not looking good as of now. Why? Because there saying they want the land for free or something.. If the mall was such a sure thing, everything would have been sign off about now. There's something about if they don't have this finalized by next month or so, there moving on. And as of now with the pace it's at, it's a high chance it don't. The chance for the mall is about 38 out of a hundred.

[DRob8785]

I just did a little research and Jazzland is more than likely the front runner of the mall don't go threw. And for the 0% chance, that's not true, the mall is not looking good as of now. Why? Because there saying they want the land for free or something.. If the mall was such a sure thing, everything would have been sign off about now. There's something about if they don't have this finalized by next month or so, there moving on. And as of now with the pace it's at, it's a high chance it don't. The chance for the mall is about 38 out of a hundred.

I never said it was a sure thing.

A 38 out of hundred? Where did you pull that out of? From five days ago - http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Outl...157612665.html

Big development projects like this takes time.

While I have experience working on development/preservation projects in the city, I don't have intiment knowledge about the details of the outlet.

The mall might not ever get built. It might get built and not succeed. I don't know -- no one does right now.

But an amusement park on that site has been a complete failure. I've never understood people's attraction to Jazzland -- it was a bad location and a bad investment. I'm confused on where your interest about this project is coming from -- is it new? Or have you been following this throughout the Southern Star and Nickelodeon disasters, and the recent RFP that the City solicited last fall?

[Trell]

Jazzland never was a failure. That was just rumors! Go look up there finances the years they where Six Flags and when they was Jazzland. Our finances was a little above average compared to the other theme/amusement parks. Jazzland was doing above average for our population. And also note that our tourism and stuff is at a super high percentage! I'm not saying that anything is a sure thing about now! No one will know until the end of July..

[DRob8785]

If Jazzland was such a success, then why was Six Flags willing to walk away from the site? Why was Southern Star Amusement and Nickelodeon unable to get it restarted?

Look, I like your enthusiasm. New Orleans needs it.

I just don't get why it's focused on Jazzland. There are TONS of development projects across the city that are more likely and better for the city than a rebuild amusement park.

[Trell]

Nickelodeon and Southern amusement ran away from the deal because the city started to ask for to much. When they seen the offers piling up, they up the up the price. Six Flags here would be good for the community, children and city. Now Six Flags here maybe wouldn't be as good as Six Flags other parks, such as: LA, Atlanta, and Mexico. And plus we didn't have many rides here, but Jazzland got everything ready in case the mall don't go threw. They have Hollywood trucks ready to build a drive in movie theater and a normal movie theater. They going to add on a water park and chop downs plenty or trees to have a ton of more space, and also it will have triple the amount of rides and stuff that they have before the storm. So all of this is a fact to have if Jazzland win this battle, but of course then winning this battle is more then likely not to happen then is.

[bandogo]

six flags made as small profit at park. six flags nationally underwent a downiszing after daniel snyder ( redskins owner ) bought it. if not for katrina it would likely still be open. i think a movie studio woauld actually be best use for site but an amusement park would be ok

[Trell]

It's all in one, movie theater, water park and amusement park!

[Unknown Poster]

It's over -- also no one goes to the East. Except people in the East.

[Trell]

Did you do research? Because it seems as you didn't. The park was successful, try where far from losing money. All of that was rumors! Just because the park didn't have any top rides, or wasn't bigger with many other rides as the other Six Flags parks! An as for the rusty old rides, they was evaluated an marked as savable, and a lot of the rides has been tooken to other parks. And they people over Jazzland as of right now is a ton of people from plenty of different parks, including water parks and Hollywood Trucks is apart of the movie theater program! And these people agreed to bring in a ton of there rides and water parks! Including the new Green Latern, the work tallest drop with the Lex Luther drop of doom, and the superman ride is to come here. Oh and plus a ton of others rides.. Do the park will have lots of rides plus way more land and things to do. Plus the mall representatives don't want to pay for the land!

[Unknown Poster]

Not going to happen. It's been seven years.

[Trell]

What that has to do with anything? They only have like 4 current rides there! An the plan is to bring in new and other rides from other parks.. So that 7 years stuff don't have anything I do with nothing!

[Kyrios]

I have to say, during the 5 or something years Jazzland/Six Flags was here, it was great. I really hoped that it would be there for the long run. Most people think the East New Orleans kind of like their weird, no one wants to talk to, cousin. It also really helped all the local Vietnamese cuisine restaurants nearby..

But all in all, I really doubt a theme park will be reopened on those grounds.. Actually, I saw the ferris wheel lite up and working a couple nights ago at like 2 in the morning. Reallly bought back memories. and I think the sign in the front still says Closed for Storm.

[Trell]

Yea they was making a movie. But Jazzland is the top runner if the mall don't go threw. And the mall is not looking good as of now, they want that whole land plus a little of the woods for free!

[geaux]

I just did a little research and Jazzland is more than likely the front runner of the mall don't go threw. And for the 0% chance, that's not true, the mall is not looking good as of now. Why? Because there saying they want the land for free or something.. If the mall was such a sure thing, everything would have been sign off about now. There's something about if they don't have this finalized by next month or so, there moving on. And as of now with the pace it's at, it's a high chance it don't. The chance for the mall is about 38 out of a hundred.

Not sure where you are getting your info from...please share. My understanding is that (1) The mall isn't having issues abnormal from this type of situation, and (2) they have two years due diligence...they don't have to rush.

[Trell]

I can't get a link because it was on a radio show like 2 days ago. I think it was WBOK or something, they had a person who's partially over the park, Idk something in that matter. But all this I'm saying was coming from them(lady name Tonya Pope).

[Cajun_Hornet]

Their is work being done to build a theme park on HWY 90 between Houma and Thibodaux.

[AD23forMVP]

Has anyone been since? I really want to go check it out lol

[42]

http://sometimes-interesting.com/201...s-new-orleans/

Here is a good article.

The place was losing money it seems. If you can find articles that say otherwise, please post them.

They make movies out in the East (and where I work out in the East), and it seems they were using it as you said, for a movie. However, they only had 1 safe ride, and it was moved to San An according to that article. The insurance hasn't paid. It's just as much of a political and paperwork quagmire as a literal one.

And it's very, very sad.

[laclife]

looks like they can shoot chernobyl in it

[DRob8785]

I can't get a link because it was on a radio show like 2 days ago. I think it was WBOK or something, they had a person who's partially over the park, Idk something in that matter. But all this I'm saying was coming from them(lady name Tonya Pope).

Of course people from Paidia are going to paint an optimistic picture about their prospects. I'm sure if you heard an interview with people from DAG or Provident, they'd paint an equally optimistic picture about the outlet mall's prospects.

While Jazzland wasn't a complete failure between 2000-2005, it certainly did not live up to the expectations of the initial investment group. And of course, multiple attempts to bring the park have failed in the last seven years.

So you have to ask yourself -- why did the park fail to meet expectations in its 5 year run and why wasn't it brought back post-K?

One side would say that there was nothing wrong with the initial plan, and that the problems of the past 7 year have more to do with Six Flag's bankruptcy and the incompetence of the City Council than with any problem with the idea of a theme park in New Orleans East. This is essentially the position taken by Paidia.

The other side of the coin suggests that maybe the problems of the past 7 years and the disappointment of the park's run is actually a structural problem. Maybe that location is just a bad place to build a theme park?

Ultimately it is probably combination of both -- but I think that the presence of structural problems to the site, even if it is only part of the problem, suggests that an amusement park out East might always struggle.

[Trell]

Please sign this! https://www.change.org/petitions/cit...all-proposal-3

[SeauxCrazy]

Found these from that movie that's filming......IT'S ALIVEEEEEEEEEEEE


Six Flags New Orleans by fegbm, on Flickr


Six Flags New Orleans by fegbm, on Flickr


Anyone know what movie is filming out there?

[dream34]

First things first, Six Flags did not return to the location post Katrina for a whole host of reasons some were related to corporate management and others park management, there were also insurance issues that prevented the park from being opened in a timely manner. That said there was a change in management/ownership in the Six Flags corporation that resulted in a number of their parks, even some which had performed incredibly well over the years (Astroworld) closing. Based on that, along with some inside information I was made aware of SF/Jazzland would have probably died a slow death even in the event Katrina never occurred. Many of the reasons the park was never re-opened by Six Flags are the same reasons that no other entity wants to redevelop the property as an amusement park. Believe it or not the corporations that open these parks (or any business for that matter) conduct a whole series of market and demographic studies to determine the feasibility of opening a business, if they don't like what they see $ and profit margin wise then they usually shy away. No offense Trell, but these guys are not in business to "give kids something to do" or help communities with at risk youth, they are in it for profit. Along those lines I can tell you that if you look at the parks Six Flags shuttered, most were properties that were visited more by locals than tourists and were experiencing problems with criminal activity because of those who patronized the parks. If you are looking for a way to help at risk youth and provide activities to keep them off the streets and out of trouble you would be better served to organize and petition better funding for NORD or volunteer with a charitable foundation/religious institution that does such things. Also, citing WBOK as a reputable source is the equivelant of citing Rush Limbaugh as the same. They tend to see things through a "tinted set of glasses" so to speak and are more than happy to manipulate information to fit their agenda.

[Trell]

I got emails from representatives of Jazzland, City Hall and representatives from the mall. City Hall said theres no guarantee that the mall will be there, they want the city to pay for all they funds. And for Jazzland they have help and sponsors from ton of local places and other water, and amusement parks.

Then the problem with Six Flags was they knew New Orleans Six Flags would not be better then there others, that's why they didn't bring in any rides or continue to do so. Even though that doesn't make any sense to me. If Jazzland is there they signed off to have, at least 10 roller coaster(not kiddy rides) and plenty of marsh and trees cut down for more land, over the next 2 years. But I'm going to leave it at that, and see how this is going play out.

[dream34]

I got emails from representatives of Jazzland, City Hall and representatives from the mall. City Hall said theres no guarantee that the mall will be there, they want the city to pay for all they funds. And for Jazzland they have help and sponsors from ton of local places and other water, and amusement parks.

Then the problem with Six Flags was they knew New Orleans Six Flags would not be better then there others, that's why they didn't bring in any rides or continue to do so. Even though that doesn't make any sense to me. If Jazzland is there they signed off to have, at least 10 roller coaster(not kiddy rides) and plenty of marsh and trees cut down for more land, over the next 2 years. But I'm going to leave it at that, and see how this is going play out.

Well, of course they are not going to guarantee that a mall (or anything else for that matter) will be there until such time as an agreement is reached and there are solid plans for the redevelopment. When all of that occurs they would most likely call a presser and make an official announcement. To announce something as a done deal, when they are merely at the feasibility study/proposal stage would be plain dumb, and a mistake the Nagin administration made regarding the property and other development projects on multiple occasions. So far as the city "paying all the funds" is concerned I am going to guess that you are referring to tax breaks/incentives and infrastructure improvements to city streets, drainage, etc around the property to make it more palatable to redevelopment. I have no idea why you think that is such a big issue, especially since any entity redeveloping that property, be it as an amusement park, outlet mall, NAASCAR Track, or industrial site would likely ask for the same thing.

The problem with Six Flags was that they were not going to invest significant resources into what was a marginally profitable property, at best. IIRC the only reason Six Flags was even interested in the property after the debacle with "ALFA Smart Parks" was because they were able to get it for a song, invest very little into development (as the park was already developed and only needed minor upgrades) and given the tax incentives turn a profit (albeit a marginal one) while trying to develop a new market. I can tell you that Six Flags has ZERO, I mean NO, NONE, ZILCH interest in returning to that property and every other group (aside from Nickelodeon) that pitched reopening it as an amusement park had shaky financing at best, regardless of what things looked like on the surface.

All of that said I personally think that so far as New Orleans East is concerned its best option for the future is as an industrial area and as a place to develop a new regional airport with elevated runways designed to withstand the potential flooding and unstable soil of the area. I’m not convinced that any large development, be it the proposed outlet mall or an amusement park will succeed at that location, unless they can create one heck of a buffer zone between it and the surrounding low income, crime filled neighborhoods. For that matter I can't really see any mall or significant retail (aside from Wal Mart) succeeding in the area. So far as those who want to return it to the glory days of being the middle class hub it was in 1970's-80's that ship sailed the minute fools like Sherman Copelin decided they needed subsidized housing and apartments in the area. In just under 15 years (1990-2005) they successfully managed to run out almost all of the middle class to St. Tammany and St. Bernard and the businesses along with them. Katrina just came along and accelerated the flight of the remaining stable communities and businesses by about 10 years. Now the place is little more than a no man's land filled with crime ridden, low income housing and no businesses outside of those which are industrial. Unless one has rental property or works at one of the businesses out there most in the metro area have no reason or desire to visit the east except as a "pass thru" during their daily commute or on the way to the Gulf Coast.