New Six Flags in Michigan?

Okay, so I've done a search to no avail. I realize that its bad practice to make a topic based on rumors, but I figured if there were anywhere I could find the answer, it was here.

A very close friend of mine who has family in Grayling, Michigan, mentioned that there is a Six Flags opening there. Now, this friend is definitely not one to lie, and I can't imagine those who mentioned it to him would, either. However, this could be a simple case of misinformation on their part.

So, I gotta ask: Deal, or no deal?

No Deal, with Six Flags current financial situation, along with the fact that they havent opened an original park of their own in many years, the last being Six Flags over Mid America (Six Flags T. Louis) I do not believe for a second they would be opening a brand new park. Plus there has been absolutely no news of anything about this, which there definately would be.

I have to agree with freak. I haven't heard a whisper. Are you sure they weren't thinking of the old Sega Park. Half the people from my work live in Michigan. I'll ask around.

I agree that its very unlikely, but I just couldn't be certain. I can't see how a park there would survive, regardless - its 3 hours from Detroit, which is the closest big city.

I can remember, back in the seventies, the "news" that Cedar Point was about to open a new park in Michigan was all over the place.

Not sure what it is about Michigan, but this story rears up every few years. The name of the company may change, but the story's the same.

Six Flags owned a place known as Autoworld in Flint for a few years. It was more of a indoor car showcase with themeing and shows or something. It was shut down after years of losing money.

http://toysaregoodfood.com/content/archives/000008.html

While Michigan only has one amusement park, I can't see any one else trying to build another. The majority of the population is in the metropolitan of Detroit. Lansing and Grand Rapids are the only other large cities in the state. MiA is very close to Grand Rapids and Lansing and Detroit are in Cedar Point territory. Northern Michigan and the UP don't have enough people to support a park.

No one (but Six Flags) would be dumb enough to compete with Cedar Point. *** Edited 6/5/2006 12:51:40 PM UTC by gomez***

Why would Six Flags build a park 3 hours from Detroit when CP is only about 2 hours away? Even if the Six Flags park was much closer many people would continue to go to CP because it would be a better park and a better value. There's a good reason why Six Flags got out of Ohio.

What Michigan needs is a small to midsized park that is something like either KW or IB. A good location would be somewhere around Ann Arbor.

^Not to mention their failed attempt at doing exactly that with the former SFWOA.

Cedar Fair was actually very close to building a park near Battle Creek, Michigan, before arguments with the local authorities led to dropping the project (they bought Valleyfair instead). I've seen blueprints for the park as well as environmental impact studies at the library at Western Michigan University.

^I remember reading about it somewhere else, and I checked and it was mentioned in the book The Queen of American Watering Places:

"After evaluating more than fifty potential Michigan sites, Cedar Point, Inc. entered into a conditional sales agreement with the City of Battle Creek for the aquisition of 760 acres of land. Cedar Point's projected investment, including $2,000,000 for the land, was expected to be more than $25,000,000; and by the time the park was scheduled to open in 1978, it would feature twnty-six rides and employ a seasonal staff of 1,200. Once again, however, the parties involved could not finalize the details, and for the second time Cedar Point's officers cancelled the project."

So there's definately truth to the story about the new park in Michigan in the late 70s... the question is, are people somehow still confusing that with a six flags park today, and perhaps relating it to auto world as well?

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gomez said:No one (but Six Flags) would be dumb enough to compete with Cedar Point.

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Now, Im just a nobody on this forum, but how could you say something like that? Cedar Point is not the end all be all of the Amusement Park's. SFGAM and PKI do very well, id imagine competing with CP for the Northern Indiana/Southern Michigan Markets.

P.S. I know Cedar Fair recently purchased the Paramount Parks. *** Edited 6/6/2006 12:50:43 AM UTC by SkyRider7***

None of those parks market themselves as being better than CP, nor are they in the park's direct market.

When I said (but Six Flags) I meant there stupid plan with SFWoA. Their goal was obvious and they failed very quickly.

I'm sure some of you remember the ad with the lady stating, "We past CP to get here, because of the vairety." When you need to mention another park to get people in is a very bad thing.

It will be for the "six flags" that fly over Michigan, a new theme park for all!

USA

Canada

France

Syria

Iran

Ben Wallace

The only way a park would be successful in the Detroit area would be if it was less than an hour away.

Most people think I'm imagining things when I mention Autoworld, but I remember the place.

I remember in the late 70's/early 80's there was supposedly talk of a park in Ypsilanti (near Ann Arbor), but the farmers thought it would cause too much pollution. But I'm sure that it's been investigated to put a park in many different cities.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but even though I live in the Detroit area, I drove past CP many times (without stopping) to get to other amusement parks. It surely is not the be all end all of destinations.

-Nicole

I don't think you're imagining things. I posted pictures of Autoworld a few post up. It was before my time though.

Detroit had quite a few small parks around the Detroit for a while, but no longer there.

http://rcdb.com/locationresult.htm?parkname=&pstatus=142&location=0&nearlocation=10919&nearrange=20&search=Search

I remember AutoWorld too. It should be noted it was not originally a Six Flags operation, Six Flags was (I think) brought in to manage the operation and try to make it a success. Which they weren't able to do, in the end.

AutoWorld would be a good home for MGM's Rock N' Roller Coaster and a Vekoma BoosterBike, I would imagine ;)

Although the park by Battle Creek failed to materialize, CF still has a substantial amount of land somewhere in S. Michigan (exclusive of MiA).

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The Partnership, through its subsidiary Cedar Point of Michigan, Inc., owns approximately 450 acres of land in southern Michigan.

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Source: Cedar Fair's 2005 10K filing
http://sec.edgar-online.com/2005/03/16/0000811532-05-000026/Section5.asp