One bidder for Geauga Lake property has withdrawn; another signs contract

"West said Monday that one of the bidders withdrew its bid on one of the parcels "based upon some information it received about a roller coaster on that parcel that had been sold to someone else" at the June 17 Norton Auctioneers ride and equipment auction at the park."That's disappointing if the bidder was hoping to get the parcel with the coaster in an attempt to preserve it.
*** This post was edited by CPLady 7/15/2008 4:04:58 PM ***

I really hope they somehow manage to fetch a fortune for this land. I'm not holding my breath though.

So they have one bidder for each parcel of land. Doesn't sound very competitive.

Also interesting to read that Apex is now offering the sell Big Dipper to anyone interested in buying it "with stipulations." I thought they bid on it at the auction on behalf of an unnamed party?

RGB... they did bid on behalf of the unnamed party... and that party is still unnamed to this day ;).

They won't get a fortune for the land. Some of it is unusable--there are four dumps and a sewage treatment leach bed on the land and a lot of it is swampy. There are several piecemeal plots along the one side of the lake that are interspersed with private lots, and some have no access to the road. There are no sanitary sewers on the Geauga Lake side. The park was able to expand and still use the leach bed, but any new development will be required to put in sanitary sewers. (That always sounded like an oxymoron to me.)

I see this becoming another AstroWorld deal. They're not going to get anywhere near what they were hoping for.

tycoon, I understand that. That's why I'm questioning why Apex is offering to re-sell it if they were only the agent for the buyer. Wasn't the buyer going to be using it as a non-operating showpiece? Is there a change of heart now? If I were an interested buyer, why would I want to deal with a "middleman" and pay more to let them make a profit?

Jeffrey, sewers (that go to a treatment plant) are sanitary when compared to the alternatives-- letting it run down the street or dumping it raw into the nearest stream or river. :)

A SBNO wooden coaster is no more entertaining to look at then a pile of lumber at Home Depot, but the coaster has not value to me, so Im guessing that some would rather see it sit there than be demolished.

I was just wondering if there is anything left. Meaning any rides still standing right now or remains of rides or roller coasters? Just curious. Would like to see some photos. It always has an erie feeling for me to see a park being torn down or abandon. I still remember going there right after they opened all the new roller coasters, batman, villian, etc. I really thought it was going to be a great park for years to come. I loved Villian. Then I went back a couple years after that and all the rides were horrible. Villian felt like a death trap. So sad.