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Agreed. Look, I want to see Michigan get back on its feet more than anyone. I moved back up here FROM Atlanta, Georgia last year because I wanted to live in my home state and be around my family, but Michigan has to realize that #1 - no one is going to come all the way up here from out of state when there are much larger parks closer to them, and #2 - most the people who live here aren't going to go because they can't afford to in this economy! People need extra money in their pockets to be able to do things like theme parks, and very few have it at the moment. Michigan needs to worry more about creating REAL jobs - and no, unskilled theme park jobs are not what gets an economy going again...... sorry.
They say the advantage of this proposed park is that it'll be open year 'round. For the life of me, I STILL can't picture people piling their families in the minivan and driving through the northern Michigan lake effect snow bands in Janurary to go to a theme park! NO WAY! Not gonna happen!
Well I am in Charlevoix and I would rather drive to Grayling instead of Muskegon or Cedar Point.....but hey, what does my opinion count on this gloom and doom thread? You guys got it all figured out, know what everyone wants to do and how far everyone wants to drive. Good Job!
Well I am in Charlevoix and I would rather drive to Grayling instead of Muskegon or Cedar Point.....but hey, what does my opinion count on this gloom and doom thread? You guys got it all figured out, know what everyone wants to do and how far everyone wants to drive. Good Job!
Your opinion would count more minus the attitude. You seem to enjoy throwing that around more than an informed response.
So based upon your latest nasty little quip, I'm assuming you're saying the park could succeed because of the patronage of people living up here? Do you really believe that?
There's a difference between gloom & doom and being a realist, by the way. Step outside of your lakehouse and take a look around you, lady........people are struggling in this region. An opinion that states putting a multi million dollar theme park in such a place is a huge risk is not "doom & gloom", it's being real.
LOL, lake house, sorry, I live on 35 acres in the middle of no where, about 15 min from the lake. I would go to the Park and no many people that would too. I know you are bitter about the hole in the ground in Petoskey, but that doesnt foreshadow things being built everywhere.
You are forgetting about all the rich tourists that flock to this area, THEY will pay to drive and go to the park, along with locals, And while I agree that these arent the best jobs to be created, they are better than no jobs at all
If you think I have *attitude* about this, you should see how you sound to me....boo hoo Petoskey Pointe (which has nothing to do with this) no one will come ( do you have a crystal ball?) it wont work (how do YOU know?)
Little positive thinking never hurt anyone. This COULD be a good thing, lets focus on that shall we?
lol, lake house, doing a little ASSUMing there? lol
LOL, lake house, sorry, I live on 35 acres in the middle of no where, about 15 min from the lake. I would go to the Park and no many people that would too. I know you are bitter about the hole in the ground in Petoskey, but that doesnt foreshadow things being built everywhere.
You are forgetting about all the rich tourists that flock to this area, THEY will pay to drive and go to the park, along with locals, And while I agree that these arent the best jobs to be created, they are better than no jobs at all
If you think I have *attitude* about this, you should see how you sound to me....boo hoo Petoskey Pointe (which has nothing to do with this) no one will come ( do you have a crystal ball?) it wont work (how do YOU know?)
Little positive thinking never hurt anyone. This COULD be a good thing, lets focus on that shall we?
lol, lake house, doing a little ASSUMing there? lol
You obviously don't have your finger on the pulse of what's going on up here.
The people I work with at the hospital said last summer was their slowest ever. They were astounded by the lack of activity. It was because so many of these "rich" tourists you refer to decided to stay home for whatever reason. I guess even "rich" people don't like paying $4 a gallon to fill their tanks, and much more to operate their gigantic boats. I'll never forget being on Mullet Lake last July 4th and how we nearly had the whole lake to ourselves.....I was like "Where IS everybody??".
I was told that I'd see snowmobilers everywhere up here over the winter. I might have seen 10-20 all winter. Maybe.
I lost track of the number of people I met on the job over the past year who told me they had already closed, or were having to close their businesses because of the lack of patrons. I'm sure some of it is due to crap like Wal-Mart and what not, but you can't blame all of it on that.
I've also talked with many Odawa casino employees that say that facility is not doing well. They've had to cut staff and they just opened last year.
But hey, you're right.....let's be positive. I'm positive that if the Grayling theme park gets built there will be a field with rusted roller coasters & abandoned buildings 2 years afterward. Just what Michigan needs.
I have promoted this area and this state heavily since I moved back here, so don't try and paint me as one of the habitual D&Gers. I just don't like this particular project, for reasons that I've already gone into.
I love this state, but it has serious issues that will not be dissolved with just a positive attitude about a theme park.
.......and you would boo hoo about Petoskey Pointe too if you had to look at the giant hole disfiguring your beautiful town everyday. I know a lot of folks from Charlevoix who are disgusted by the harbor project down there.
Last edited by Tyryztoll; 05-11-2008 at 10:15 AM..
You obviously don't have your finger on the pulse of what's going on up here.
The people I work with at the hospital said last summer was their slowest ever. They were astounded by the lack of activity. It was because so many of these "rich" tourists you refer to decided to stay home for whatever reason. I guess even "rich" people don't like paying $4 a gallon to fill their tanks, and much more to operate their gigantic boats. I'll never forget being on Mullet Lake last July 4th and how we nearly had the whole lake to ourselves.....I was like "Where IS everybody??".
I was told that I'd see snowmobilers everywhere up here over the winter. I might have seen 10-20 all winter. Maybe.
I lost track of the number of people I met on the job over the past year who told me they had already closed, or were having to close their businesses because of the lack of patrons. I'm sure some of it is due to crap like Wal-Mart and what not, but you can't blame all of it on that.
I've also talked with many Odawa casino employees that say that facility is not doing well. They've had to cut staff and they just opened last year.
But hey, you're right.....let's be positive. I'm positive that if the Grayling theme park gets built there will be a field with rusted roller coasters & abandoned buildings 2 years afterward. Just what Michigan needs.
I have promoted this area and this state heavily since I moved back here, so don't try and paint me as one of the habitual D&Gers. I just don't like this particular project, for reasons that I've already gone into.
I love this state, but it has serious issues that will not be dissolved with just a positive attitude about a theme park.
.......and you would boo hoo about Petoskey Pointe too if you had to look at the giant hole disfiguring your beautiful town everyday. I know a lot of folks from Charlevoix who are disgusted by the harbor project down there.
I agree. I don't see it as a boon to the area. The company would leave with their tail between their legs and leave a big scar across that pristine area (including the rusting rollercoasters). Maybe another day when/if the economy picks up a bit but right now I think everyone is buttoning down their wallets and cutting out the "fat" (expensive entertainment).
What makes Cedar Pointe work is that it is accessible to two major population centers - Cleveland and Detroit. What makes Wisconsin Dells work is it's accessible to 2-3 major population centers (Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison).
I just don't see what a theme park in the middle of nowhere's going to do. People living on 35 acres coming to a theme park won't cut it. I drive between Detroit and Marquette a LOT. Outside of a few weeks in the summer, I can usually count the cars between Saginaw and Marquette. I-75 is freaking desolate - especially in winter. We live in a very desolate state. There's simply not much of anything - which is great in my opinion and a wonderful marketing tool.
I just don't understand what population this is drawing. Yoopers? That's a solid 4-6 hour drive from most of the UP population centers. Good luck with that. Most Yoopers aren't chompin' at the bit for such kitche. It's a more natural lifestyle up here. Yoopers go to Appleton, Wisconsin if they're looking for the big city thrills and shopping. Detroiters go to Cedar Pointe (which will always be far superior to whatever they build).
I know they've done studies, but they did studies for the Great Lakes Crossing Mall that assured everyone that they would be adding to the regional shopping landscape and drawing a different clientele from up north, not threatening the existence of what's already there.
A year later, Summit Place Mall was pretty much tanked by Great Lakes. So, studies tend to favor the people looking to make a quick buck out of a scam.
Do we really need this kind of kitche, anyway? Just seems like there are better reasons to plow under forests unnecessarily.
bluefly, you are on the money, The people of the up are more likely to go if it would be a find the ufo or shoot the elk theme park. The few people who would go could not possibly support a park this size, So many parks of different sizes have died over the last 40 years. Gamehavan died and it was just 3 miles off I75.
Project nature, Heck even the big ski resort boyne mountain went bankrupt, it is in chapter 11 now. Traffic is down from Detroit and people do not come from anywhere else in any kind of real numbers to support MI.
In Canada you have Niagara next door, In NY you have upstate NY which is if you have ever been there has more beauty than north MI, WI which is no different than MI, And no one comes from FL, TN, or any of the southern states or west, Some came from IN,IL,OH. but with gas at 4 a gallon and economy's that are as bad or maybe even worst than MI they can not run up state MI to spend 40 a person on some theme park now lets put in to it that there is a big established them park 270 miles closer, Hmmmm, let me do the math, just a second,,,,,,,,,,, Nope cant make the numbers work. My bet... it will not even break ground, any one who can have the the funds to build such a thing is going to have some one some where tell them DON'T DO IT, IT IS GOING TO FAIL.
bluefly, you are on the money, The people of the up are more likely to go if it would be a find the ufo or shoot the elk theme park. The few people who would go could not possibly support a park this size, So many parks of different sizes have died over the last 40 years. Gamehavan died and it was just 3 miles off I75.
LOL, find the UFO or shoot the elk... Look at Michigan Adventure...they will NEVER have Cedar Point-like attendance numbers. As said before, the northern LP is NOT the place to build a mega-million dollar theme park. Part of the problem is that people don't drive through Michigan to get ANYWHERE. For people in the LP, there are several theme park options, with Cedar Point, Great America, King's Island all within a days drive from anywhere in the LP. What could possibly be the attraction of yet ANOTHER park? I've never been to Michigan Adventure, but by the looks of their website, my money would be better spent (from an entertainment standpoint) at Cedar Point, though I would rather my money stay in Michigan than go out of state. Either way, there is a lot more traffic on I80 through Ohio than on I75 in that area, and people drive through Ohio to get from one part of the nation to the other. Anybody driving through Michigan is either going to Canada, they live here (or visiting family, etc), or they're lost!
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