Kennywood has agreement to purchase 20 or more acres

I think it would be a great idea, it would definatly help them in the future.

This is incredible news. It's hard to imagine another world class coaster dropping down the ravine, and it sounds to me like it be an even longer drop than PR. The article said that even if anything else doesn;t work out, like the highway, a new coaster is still very possible. Very exciting news, if you ask me.

Can we please not use the word "future" in any KW posts? It gives me a headache. ;)

Great news for a great park! Perhaps we can replace "future" with "Tomorrowland".............no, wait, that's already taken.......lol ;)

Great news! Here comes Boulder Dash on steroids! Wheeee!

I'd love to see it, but only if it fits in with the park well.

And I mean, VERY well.

- Josh

This is fantastic news for the park...but at the same time, I hope to god the Mon-Fayette expressway doesn't happen. It's going to tear multiple urban communities in pittsburgh completely apart. I'll give up a Kennywood expansion to keep this city in one piece.

Hopefully it doesn't happen and the park can still expand.

Right because those communities are doing SO well off as it is, we wouldn't possibly want to disturb them to allow interstate access which has a better chance of having immediate effects than just waiting it out ...

So where are all those folks who said Kennywood would never in a million years expand over the ravine?

Impulsive, that seems a little harsh towards those people that live in the potentially affected areas. Everyone needs somewhere to live and maybe many of them cannot afford anything else. Maybe just be grateful for where YOU live, but don't knock the ones who can't afford better. I am sure you wouldn't like it if a proposed highway was planned to go between you and your neighbors house either, whether or not your community is doing SO well or not. Something like this CAN help EVERYONE by creating jobs and potentially better lives for those who care to inmprove themselves in the urban areas.

Hopefully if it does get approved, it will be a compromise of sorts and fewer, if any, people will be affected.

I'll step down off my soapbox now...;)

Well actually yea, I was living in a rather well-off suburb and for the last two years I was there, we were waiting for a decision on a major highway that was going to go right through our neighborhood taking out our house. But you know what? They were going to give us fair market value for our house, no questions asked, no realtor fees, no excessive closing costs, so why argue, sounds like a good deal to me? So, basically, don't assume.

;) Fair and well explained response. :)

Nothing new really, except that the're thinking of indoor waterparks/hotels - already knew they owned the land, in fact it was purchased back in November. The housing behind Lost Kennywood is used for housing for some overseas workers as well as some full-time employees. Nothing is likely to happen until around 2010 though.

This is great news. I hope everything works out with the park and the expressway. I don't know about the indoor waterpark and hotel ideas though. Kinda mixed feelings about that since I feel the space could be better used. With Sandcastle right down the street, I don't think kennywood needs to add any type of water park. Hotel is interesting and could be good since the expressway is so close but then again there are a lot of hotels right down the road by the airport. Anyway it's great to see Kennywood working on big plans for the future.

it's also great to see the same firm that did lost kennywood working on this project. After rereading the article, I would say that the old k-mart building would be the proposed hotel site. very interesting.*** This post was edited by Prpat 7/8/2005 4:48:50 PM ****** This post was edited by Prpat 7/8/2005 4:49:16 PM ***

I assume the parking lots would be used for the expansions. I have a hard time beliving though that something as simple as a road would bring people here rather than Ohio. I personally would never choose one place over another because of the roads I have to take.

Have you ever tried to get to Kennywood? Both my first and second times, getting there was half the (un) fun. Bring on a new road!

l. A new waterpark is needed because Sandcastle is outdated. Visit any of the new waterparks and then spend a day at Sandcastle and the need for a total new facility becomes clear. The question becoms what to do with the Sandcastle acreage, but that's under discussion.

On the Expressway...

2. Someone visiting Kennywood once a year for a whole day will come regardless. But someone in the area who might drive out for an evening or an afternoon won't do it if half of their entire day must be spent fighting traffic, construction and roundabout roads. Kennywood is the most inaccessible amusement park in the region, if not the nation.

3. The communities along the Mon Valley, sad to say, are ghosts, shells, of what they once were. Acres which will be taken for the route are not functioning neighborhoods, but either blocks of abandoned or seriously deteriorated housing, or vacant industrial sites mostly created by former mills long ago closed and torn down.

On the hotel...

4. it will be a great addition. Like Cedar Point, PKI, Indiana Beach, Carowinds, and other parks, there is something very appealing about parking the car for three days, waking up in the morning, eating breakfast, and walking over to the park as it opens for the day. Being able to return to the hotel for an afternoon nap or at closing time makes for a great visit.

5. Let's hope Kennywood takes the opportunity to theme the hotel with lots of historic photos and artwork from the park's past century.

On the cliff...

6. As has been mentioned, isn't it interesting several people, having interviewed park officials, have accurately forecast these developments and been thoroughly ridiculed by several dozen frequent posters as being totally misinformed and delusional.

Bottom Line...

Great News for Kennywood Lovers.

A hotel nearby would be great. Don't know why there has never been one. Seems to me a hotel near Kennywood would be a prime spot, with or without a new highway.
As someone who brought a kid to the park for the first time this year, a hotel on the grounds would have been great for my 1-year-old's nap.
We stayed in West Mifflin near the mall, but it's not nearly as convenient. Besides, try explaining to your wife, who is from out of state, how to get from Kennywood to Lebanon Church Road, or the Parkway East for that matter, so your kid can take a nap so she can enjoy the rest of the day.
A hotel would allow us to enjoy the day longer, thus make lack of general admission (kid gets in free, but wife and I must pay full price for our limited time at the park as well as limited by the kid to actually ride very much) easier to swallow.