My take on Lesourdsville Opening

Last time I went by last summer the Zipper was still on-site. It's so sad to see that park, (as a whole), esp. the Eagle just rotting away!

Favorite Ride @ LLAP other than Screechin' Eagle: The Whip

Least Favorite: Music Express

Greatest Memory of LLAP: Seeing my very first rock concert there. A KISS rip-off band, (but they did really play, and they rocked, (at least for an 8 yr. old).

Sad to say. I don't believe we'll ever see LLAP open again either!

In my community we have a failing paper mill, one of the options, if the mill were to be divested, is to allow the workers to all become partners and purchase it through special retirement buy backs and other forms of funding. Knowing that this mill only employees 200 some people and will have a price tag near 5 million has given me ideas about LL.

We have a large enthusiest community with people from all walks of life. People with careers in advertising, physics, sales and full time students. If this park were something that could be turned around, reopened and generate positive revenue than why not start talks off the table to form an LLC with all willing parties? I am willing to devote time to filtering through parties who would be interested in this endeaver or know people who could be key in investing. Some questions that you honestly have to ask are is LL a park that can and would be profitble with adequate advertising and marketing and can enough equity be secured to reopen the park in '06 with expansions (ie water slides or other tangibles) in '07? The community is key, do they support LL being there and growing?

If the decision is made that this park could not be reopened and made profitable within a resaonable amount of time or that some other extrinsic circumstance exists or comes to light, some or all parties can exit talks at any time.

This is just an idea that I have been toying with, I think that this may be the key time to consider this with the highest regards. How many more seasons can LL be closed before it becomes and eye sore that the community no longer wants? If you are not interested in being a partner, but have ideas or qualifications that may help in making this idea a reality let me know.

*** Edited 6/28/2005 3:43:44 AM UTC by ldiesman***

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john peck said:
I hope Pugh didn't get his rides back!

When Coney Island bought the park in 1996, they wanted to biuld a wood coaster. For the cost of one, they were able to buy the whole park, which didn't turn enough revenue for them. I wonder if they would be able to buy the Eagle, if neccessary...

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That would work as well. :-) They certainly DO need a woody.

-Tina

The biggest challenge LL/Americana had in its recent history from what I can tell is an inability to distiniguish itself apart from PKI. Enthusiasts know the difference and the middletown locals who were nearby found it convenient, but how in the 21st century full of hypercoasters and megaparks and $25M+ investments does a small park trying to re-establish itself set itself apart? The park could certainly advertise itself as a small, family friendly, affordable, classic park if it had the revenue to do so, but LL is now faced with PKI a half hour away making major pushes to be a very family-friendly park as well (albeit a VERY expensive family-friendly park). Coney has managed to set itself apart from KI enough to hold its own despite floods and much fewer rides. I think I'd push the 'affordable' angle as much as possible.

My suggestion: run an extensive poll asking families what would draw them to LL instead of KI, and offer a free ticket to participants to come and see it for themselves.

Idiesman, I like the ideas you're proposing, but the problem with any partnership is: who's going to run it? And how do you go about determining amongst the group who is the most qualified to run a park. Most of us here know our parks and our park histories well, but I know I don't know enough to actually RUN a park outside of the RCT world, nor do I have the experience to chose an appropriate leader from a large group of supporters.

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CincyDJ said:
who's going to run it? And how do you go about determining amongst the group who is the most qualified to run a park.

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Choosing a good park manager is one of the most essential pieces in the success of a project such as this. With any LLC there would be a large group of finance partners with a much smaller group of managing partners. The managing partners would decide where funds would be used (usually deciding amongts proposals from the park manager or others). The park manager would be an employee of the investment company (the LLC). Prior to the forming of the LLC there would be good faith round table meetings (in person or teleconference) that run pretty much like an interview only each member is judging the next and making a decision on what is presented on multiple levels. In this case we would be looking at finding a competent person who could completely opperate an amusement park with the vision to make it grow 10, 15, even 20 years down the road. Then allow that person to take their vision and apply it to the rest of the management and park staff. This is not an overnight process by any means.

Step one: Finding interest(Current Step).

Step two: Finding interest with intent and filtering through the ones who just want involvement, but can't commit anything.

Step three: Meet and discuss ideas, assets, etc. Build a business plan, before the business plan is finalized it is presented to the board (at this step the board is ALL members of the LLC, during the approval process members who contribute financialy are seperated from members who also carry the management burden) who approves and appoints a park manager (the manager doesn't have to be part of the LLC if a very qualified candidate were to emerge). After the business plan is approved the board is comprised of the manageing partners only and they are the decision makers from here on out (special terms in the LLC contract can change some of this power if elected).

The above 3 steps could take weeks, months, maybe a year to complete depending on interest. I am not going to attempt to make this look like it has success written all over it, the risks involved in this are huge, but the rewards make it worth while in the end. There needs to be 3 to 6 people who are ready to give 100% if this venture were to come to fruition.

*** Edited 6/28/2005 6:38:22 PM UTC by ldiesman***

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CincyDJ said:

Most of us here know our parks and our park histories well, but I know I don't know enough to actually RUN a park outside of the RCT world, nor do I have the experience to chose an appropriate leader from a large group of supporters.

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The fact that you are willing to admitt that you *dont* know enough makes you infinitely more qualified to run a park than many visitors on this site. At least you know your limitations ;)

lata, jeremu (intentionally misspelled just for RGW :))

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2Hostyl said:The fact that you are willing to admitt that you *dont* know enough makes you infinitely more qualified to run a park than many visitors on this site. At least you know your limitations ;)

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Muchas gracias. :)

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2Hostyl said:
The fact that you are willing to admitt that you *dont* know enough makes you infinitely more qualified to run a park than many visitors on this site. (intentionally misspelled just for RGW )

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Thats the great thing about my proposal. No one will be taking any risk if a suitable park manager can not be found. All the members decide on who is the best candidate for the position with a required 75% vote (can be higher or unanimous if need be). If no suitible pm can be found talks end and we all go back to where we started. No money lost.

So far this is organizing the funding and potential and analyzing options. There are probably more qulified candidates on this site than people think. Maybe vocal, maybe silent, but some of the audience here is very well educated. A good park manager is one who has a vision and can see the way to execute that vision. It doesn't take an MBA from Yale or Harvard.

But I will concede that the possibility of a potential candidate coming from CB is very low. Less than 1% here are probably qualified. But, that is what I want to find out.

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CincyDJ said:
The biggest challenge LL/Americana had in its recent history from what I can tell is an inability to distiniguish itself apart from PKI. Enthusiasts know the difference and the middletown locals who were nearby found it convenient, but how in the 21st century full of hypercoasters and megaparks and $25M+ investments does a small park trying to re-establish itself set itself apart? The park could certainly advertise itself as a small, family friendly, affordable, classic park if it had the revenue to do so, but LL is now faced with PKI a half hour away making major pushes to be a very family-friendly park as well (albeit a VERY expensive family-friendly park). .

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Yes, it can be done. Look no further than the Chicagoland area. Kiddieland amusement park has been in business since 1929 and going strong. SFGAm is also about 30 minutes away but yet this small traditional park continues to pull in the families with small children. A mega-park and a small park can co-exist in the same market.

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Chitown said:
Yes, it can be done. Look no further than the Chicagoland area. Kiddieland amusement park has been in business since 1929 and going strong. SFGAm is also about 30 minutes away but yet this small traditional park continues to pull in the families with small children. A mega-park and a small park can co-exist in the same market.

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I don't doubt it can be done, I'm just saying it would be difficult. Also, how far from Chicago is Kiddieland? LL is a decent trek from Cincy, (about 45 min to 1 hr depending on where you live) so with KI closer and more popular, you would have to give people a reason to try something 'new', or old depending on who you are.

Everyone seems to forget. Cincinnati also has Coney Island that manages to stay afloat (cept when it floods). They are advertising alot around here. Espcally with radio and billboards. Lesordsville would need a good advertising budget to try and say "hey were here come see us for a cheeper thrill than PKI".

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PKIEMPSOB said:
cheeper thrill than PKI

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Or attack a completly different area with what "Americana" is. Come home to that old park and enjoy the sights and sounds. In a thrill contest most GP would choose PKI. I think that the advertising would need to be family based initially targeting 25-40 yo with kids. People who can remember the modern LL/Americana park and want their kids to enjoy the experience. The park would need a large first year portfolio of corporate events or buy outs, Family reunions, weddings, etc. Secure enough capital on buy out days and you can survive the first several years of fluctuations in the entertainment marketplace. Competition with PKI would also be a non factor. For us LL has a legacy and we can see that, kids don't know what LL was other than another closed park.

I look at CLP much the same as people that like LL. Gl, KW, CP and the rest have nothing to worry about from CLP. CLP is a totally differant park than the giants.
I hope LL reopens. I'd like to go there.