Here we go again - Will a "theme park" work in AZ or not? (Phoenix: zoned, airport)

[AZLiam]

Question...is Interstate 11 still proposed to be just relatively north of where I-8 and I-10 intersect?

[sh9730]

AZ - yes - but still a long ways from exact alignment of that road - but the best guess is that it would be a bit west of here - they would come "inside" Casa Grande Mountain for I 11.

But there is mention of I 11 in this proposal.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Mister-A

Oh, for sure it's a combination. I just mean that access to existing local mass transit is not likely their guiding principle.

Reading it, I note that they go on to spend a lot of time talking about deplaned passengers and visits to Arizona from outside the state. They seem to envision the local market as including existing tourism, people who are visiting Arizona otherwise, so it's hard to break the number out. I also note that they project an initial marketing budget nearly on par with the State of Arizona's marketing budget.

This screenshot implies that they're envisioning something heavily indoors. The "Under the Dome" reference above may be right on-point.

Dreamport Villages: Developer proposes $4B amusement park over 1,500 acres in Casa Grande - ABC15 Arizona



If it's for real, it's certainly interesting. The Block Sports Company appears to have historically built go-kart tracks or something like that.

LOL, maybe if this was Dubai. All that will exist of this in 10 years will be a few articles and these threads from 2017

[asufan]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

My sister-in-law came to visit us in August with her kids and we took them to the Water Park. They about died and said "it is way to hot to be at the Water Park". I can't imagine strolling around a amusement park from May to October.

Even at Legoland in Carlsbad, a mile from the ocean in 80 degree weather it feels hot standing in line for 30 minutes. Not feasible in the least to have so much of it indoors, plus we're really in the same market area as Disneyland, Knotts, Legoland, Magic Mountain, Universal, Sea World. No way many people here would choose Casa Grande over those areas. And no way a Casa Grande amusement park would be able to command $100+ a ticket and still draw crowds.

[sh9730]

I am always amazed at how many people here are business analysts.

I have no problem with people saying "I wouldn't go in the summer" or "I wouldn't pay $100.00" but again I come back to the fact that THESE INVESTORS ARE NOT STUPID!

Is any business plan 100% assured - of course not! But, I just have to believe that the people who envision these projects do some due diligence before even investing smaller millions in the initial planning as in this case.

THEY KNOW IT IS HOT!! Yet they still think it is viable. These are not Micheal Jackson folks just throwing money around to say they did it.

[sh9730]

Sorry - one more thing - the California destinations DO require hotel stays of at least a night for people from AZ. So the cost is significantly reduced for the total "experience" if they can go home at night.

And as Mister A pointed out - some of these out of state visitors may do a "total AZ" experience and do the canyon, Tucson, Phx, etc. and include a day or two for the kids at something like this.

Lots of ways this COULD work.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

My sister-in-law came to visit us in August with her kids and we took them to the Water Park. They about died and said "it is way to hot to be at the Water Park". I can't imagine strolling around a amusement park from May to October.

I think that's why in the proposal they have a picture of a huge waterpark with a beach, waterslides, etc. in a glass dome/temp controlled area. As posted by someone else:



But while some people will find this/that/the other thing to hot, cold, etc., certainly agree, FL does very well in their waterparks with nasty humidity and hot temps in the summer months and rake in the $.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by sh9730

I am always amazed at how many people here are business analysts.

I have no problem with people saying "I wouldn't go in the summer" or "I wouldn't pay $100.00" but again I come back to the fact that THESE INVESTORS ARE NOT STUPID!

Is any business plan 100% assured - of course not! But, I just have to believe that the people who envision these projects do some due diligence before even investing smaller millions in the initial planning as in this case.

THEY KNOW IT IS HOT!! Yet they still think it is viable. These are not Micheal Jackson folks just throwing money around to say they did it.

I think maybe you are taking an overly simplistic look at this and don't work in Real Estate Development like I do. This plan reminds me of a very well known local developer who likes to propose pie in the sky high rises, he has all these renderings and gets the entitlements on the land which raises the value, then he tries to sell the land with the entitlements. Inevitably it never works out, that's how this developer is known in the community, as someone who can't get things done and never intended to. This is a similar situation. There are no "investors" lined up for this venture. Our market is covered from an amusement park standpoint. This is a highly capital intensive endeavor that will NEVER happen.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by asufan

I think maybe you are taking an overly simplistic look at this and don't work in Real Estate Development like I do. This plan reminds me of a very well known local developer who likes to propose pie in the sky high rises, he has all these renderings and gets the entitlements on the land which raises the value, then he tries to sell the land with the entitlements. Inevitably it never works out, that's how this developer is known in the community. This is a similar situation. There are no "investors" lined up for this venture. Our market is covered from an amusement park standpoint. This is a highly capital intensive endeavor that will NEVER happen.

They laughed at disney too in regards to his plan. The bottom line is if money can be made in such an endeavor, it will happen. And never say never.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by stevek64

I think that's why in the proposal they have a picture of a huge waterpark with a beach, waterslides, etc. in a glass dome/temp controlled area. As posted by someone else:



But while some people will find this/that/the other thing to hot, cold, etc., certainly agree, FL does very well in their waterparks with nasty humidity and hot temps in the summer months and rake in the $.

An indoor water park could work here, if it is kept at that