HERC Closing Golf Course Adjacent To Park

Hershey Entertainment and Resorts has announced the closing of Parkview Golf Course, which is located to the west of the Giant Center parking lot, effective later this month. Part of the 130-acre property will be used in the near future to expand parking. The remainder may be used for expansion of Hersheypark.

The link below isn't so much of a "news" article as it is an op-ed piece from the Harrisburg Patriot News. Coaster lovers might find the opinions of this golf course lover interesting.

http://www.pennlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/columnists/1131618181305160.xml?pennoped&coll=1

They have 3 other golf courses. I think its a smart move on Herco's part for the growth of the park. 130 acres is a nice chunk of real estate, and is bigger then the parks current 95(I believe) acres. It would give them a lot of area to expand. One can only begin to speculate.

A second gate waterpark? This has been rumored forever. It would be the most logical choice for the land, imho. It also seems likely because of the cancelation of the new water play area at the theme park.

IMHO

Didn't Hersheypark's plans for a new water area get rejected recently?

Wow, that is a lot of land!

Closing a Golf Course?????
The economy must be worse than I thought.

A lot of land to do a lot of things with. I'd expect a waterpark and some majot park expansion in the future.

Is this property right across Hersheypark Dr. from the park? Where exactly is it in location to the park itself?

If you are driving route 39 West from route 322 the golf course is on your right before you pass the Giant Center and then the Park.

you know, I am probably the only one on this forum who is really sad to ever see a golf course go. Played all the Hershey courses, nice tracks.

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Rob Ascough said:
I'd expect a waterpark and some majot park expansion in the future.

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What about lodging? Right now they own Hotel Hershey and Hershey Lodge plus the Hershey Highmeadow Campground.

In the imdeiate area, but not owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, is a Days Inn and a Comfort Inn, plus some small hotel / motel types and perhaps some B&B / Guest Rooms, etc. The closest concentration of lodging is near the Eisenhower Interchange (I-83, I-283 and US 322) just east of Harrisburg about 10 miles west of Hershey.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them put in some sort of hotel to try and capture even more of the travel dollars in the area rather than losing them to other hotels not owned by Hershey.

ALSO....

Years ago there was some talk about creating a new venue for out door concerts, effectively replacing the Star Pavillion and the Stadium. IF a new venue is created just west of GIANT Center... that would make the old Stadium as obsolete as the old Hershey Park Arena. There is also a good deal of support structures in the area (all of those buildings arround the Stadium). IF all of this would be moved as well, then that would leave this entire area rather "vacant" and a more likely area for amusement park (not water park) expansion in the future (its right next to the existing park.

As much as I prefer the old Barn over GIANT Center, I have the feeling that as more and more changes in the area, the shorter and shorter its days are becoming. *** Edited 11/16/2005 6:16:03 PM UTC by SLFAKE***

That is not current news, as it has been planned for over a year. HERCO bought the courses back in 2002, and they sold them 15 years earlier out of financial necessity in the 80's.

This allows them to start moving parking lots, which are key to expansion. There are no plans yet to remove any of the old structures, as the mentioned arena and stadium. HERCO needs support from the School Board before that would be done.

You can expect to see the Arena incorporated into HersheyPark as a entertainment venue, if they move their gate between the Arean and Stadium. The current gate was designed to handle about 750,000 guests, not 2.3 million.

This gives them ample space to re-structure the entrance to the park, re-locate catering, and redirect traffic both cars and people. Good things are to come.

I agree Agent. With this move the park can't do anything but improve. That is one of the things that I like about Hershey/Herco. They manage Hersheypark very smart.

I am sure that we'll see that Hotel waterpark in the future. They'll get that to pass through the township. They have a way of getting their way around here.

Hershey has a good collection of coasters now, but I still think that a hyper is the perfect addition for the park. Where the could fit that I don't know, but I am sure that they can find a way.

But wherever will they put the "barking" lot?

Plans for Parkview Golf Course? Two words:
PARKING LOT.

With the Milton Hershey Schools "renovation" (actually virtual demolition) of Senior Hall, Hotel Road is being relocated to align with the traffic light at the Entertainment Complex exit road (north of the Stadium). Currently, the land north of Hersheypark Drive (formerly the airpark)is used for overflow parking when multiple events are held on the complex. With the relocation of Hotel Road and MHS claiming the land below the school (west of the new road), overflow parking has been substantially reduced. Using the golf course land adjacent to the Giant Center allows easier access control and more continuity with the existing parking area.

No water park. No park expansion. Just parking. Sorry.

At roughly 120 parking spaces per acre, 130 acres will give you 15,600 parking spaces. It may be that the golf course will be turned only into a parking lot. But it doesn't mean that parts of the existing parking lot closest to the park now won't be used for park expansion.