Rock 'n Roll theme park (Phoenix, Yuma: buying a house, buying, movie theater)

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Sorry Sheena, I didn't mean to insult you. There is some sort of plant or something there that bothers me terribly. I don't have allergies anywhere else, but MB makes my eyes water and my nose run and gives me an awful headache.

Seriously, it does. I spent the last day of vacation in the motel room cause I just got sicker every day. I also work with someone who vacations there with her parents and her Dad is the same way.

Yes, MB does get very crowded. I believe that one of the theories was that it'd prolong the months of tourism there.

I was just teasing, you didn't insult me, I've only been here a few months . So far so good and my husband hasn't sniffled all Summer, but was practically on oxegen in Phoenix.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by joninaz

This is an absurd idea on so many levels.

Ah! Well, I guess my question was answered about when the first naysayer/NIMBY would show up!

Originally Posted by joninaz

What has Eloy got to do with music? At least Cleveland has some claim to R&R heritage. Opening a music destination in Eloy is like opening a surfing museum in Flagstaff.

Well, what does Las Vegas have to do with music? You mentioned what a winner the Hard Rock hotel/casino in Vegas has been ... and yet, Vegas has no real claim to any kind of musical heritage. None whatsoever. Same with Branson, MO: no real heritage, but the whole town is more or less a theme park that attracts many fans of country music & pop standards.

Originally Posted by joninaz

- What do amusement parks have to do with rock and roll? Is there a ride where I can OD, smash up a hotel room or hook up with groupies? The Led Zeppelin balloon ride? Will there be adorable characters running about dressed like Yoko Ono or Keith Richards? Swim in the Cream pool or grab a beer at the Queen bar? I don't get it.

That's taking it to extremes. This theme park (which is only an aspect right now, BTW) will simply capitalize on the rock & roll industry by creating a tourist attraction. If successful (and most theme parks are), think of what an improvement it would be to the area & a boon to the economy.

Originally Posted by joninaz

- Is rock & roll even alive these days among kids/young families who would go to an amusment park? Music in general and the industry have changed. Kids don't buy every album of their fave performers - they buy one song at a time... if they buy at all. Even then... is it rock and roll? Timberlake, Spears, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, 50 cent, Fergie?

Having grown up in the '70s, I remember hearing that same rhetoric back then about the speculation of rock & roll being "dead". It never happened, even when disco music seemed to be all the rage. Rock still lived on, and it continues to do so today. What do you call bands like Matchbox 20, Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Linkin Park? They're all active rock bands that are popular among the young and the not so young. And look at Santana! He's been making music since the '60s, and is still going strong today.

So the answer to your question is: the attraction would be for anybody who digs rock music ... whether it's modern rock or old time rock. And if it's true what you said about kids today liking hip hop and bubblegum pop more than rock, who says the theme park has to be aimed toward kids???

Originally Posted by joninaz

- Do we not have enough resorts with pools? How about spending $800 Million for a biotech research park or something more beneficial?

I'm all for that too ... as long as it's done with mostly private capital. That's what these theme parks are: private enterprise. I don't understand what generates so much opposition when it's not robbing money from your wallet to pay for amenities such as this ... unlike the public schools (which is a whole different topic).

[joninaz]

[quote=Valley Native;1950682]Ah! Well, I guess my question was answered about when the first naysayer/NIMBY would show up!

Well, what does Las Vegas have to do with music?

If successful (and most theme parks are), think of what an improvement it would be to the area & a boon to the economy.

the attraction would be for anybody who digs rock music ... whether it's modern rock or old time rock.
quote]

NIMBY? I don't care if it's built or not. But you seemed to have missed the part of the story where they are seeking state legislation to raise a $1 billion bond to pay for it. If you think school funding is wasteful, how do you feel about paying for the Gene Simmons coffee shop (one of the proposed attractions)?

Las Vegas has a lot to do with the nation's music heritage. Music has always been one of the main attractions and it was one of the first places that become colorblind. From the rat pack and Elvis, most major performers have toured the place, if not headlined. It's also a 24 hour, no last call party scene that fits nicely with the Rock & Roll lifestyle. Eloy? Vegas is also the #1 tourist destination the the US with 40 million annual visitors. Eloy? Even then, if you took the gaming out of the Vegas Hard Rock it would probably go bust.

Speaking of going bust, you mentioned how most theme parks are successful. I'm not sure where you find your facts, but the nation's largest theme park operator, Six Flags, just announced declining earnings and that they've discontinued operations in Buffalo, Columbus, Concord,
Denver, Houston, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Seattle.

Their stock was $60 a share 10 years ago. This morning it's $2.69

But maybe the Gene Simmons coffee shop will pack them in. I can sell a share of Six Flags stock and almost buy a latte.

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Having grown up in the '70s, I remember hearing that same rhetoric back then about the speculation of rock & roll being "dead". It never happened, even when disco music seemed to be all the rage. Rock still lived on, and it continues to do so today. What do you call bands like Matchbox 20, Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Linkin Park? They're all active rock bands that are popular among the young and the not so young. And look at Santana! He's been making music since the '60s, and is still going strong today.

Not only that, but who's to say that older rock isn't popular as well? I was born in 1976, but I started listening to Yes, Kansas, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Boston, Jimi, The Stones, the Beatles, etc...in my 20s. Maybe I'm not stereotypical in that sense, but I know many kids my age and younger who like both old and new rock.

I was going to ask "why Eloy?????", but after looking at google maps, it makes perfect sense, since it's halfway between Phoenix and Tucson (and they can probably pay next to nothing for the land)

[BigDMTP]

Originally Posted by joninaz

NIMBY? I don't care if it's built or not. But you seemed to have missed the part of the story where they are seeking state legislation to raise a $1 billion bond to pay for it. If you think school funding is wasteful, how do you feel about paying for the Gene Simmons coffee shop (one of the proposed attractions)?

Jon,

I am an organizer with Decades. I wish to explain the bond offering. There is existing legislation on the books to allow for a Theme Park District Revenue Bond which will be paid for by a sales tax on the activities within the theme park. The bond will not be a risk to taxpayers and will only have a claim the the sales tax revenue in the district. The people who invest in the bonds will be from the private sector and not a dime of public funding will go to pay for raising the fuinds from these bonds.

I know that it can be very confusing when we hear of some of the tax subsidies that are provided to various projects. But this revenue bond simply is not one of these. The park will need to pay its own freight. What the District revenue bond does is allow for a tax-free bond financing which will lower the cost of money (interest) due to the tax-free status of the bonds themselves for those who purchase the bonds.

As for the rest of your comments, I appreciate your healthy skepticism. It is a very large project proposal and it is difficult to fully understand the themeing, design and vision behind it from a single press release. I encourage you and anyone else out there to keep an open mind.

We are a home grown local group with a genuine desire to bring something cool to the state. Marty West, the designer of the park, was born and raised in AZ. He is dedicated to bringing the rich music and entertainment history of Arizona into the park. And, yes, Arizona is rich in music and entertainment history.

I encourage you to visit the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame websight. You will be surpirised at how many artists have ties to our great state.

We are currently scheduling a Public Speaking series to bring the park to you. We can send a speaker with our full presentation to your civic organization meeting or even to a your livingroom for all your neighbors to hear!

Just e-mail me and we can get your group on our schedule.

DaveG

[gophins72]

just a note, another parallel thread here: //www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...y-arizona.html

[joninaz]

DaveG,

Thanks for the reply. I respect you for that.

The funding route makes a bit more sense, but not quite. Someone still has to back the securities. If it were that clean cut I must wonder why Bush Gardens, Six Flags, Universal and others hadn't sought it out.

I still question a number of major fundamentals but look forward to your approaches.

[odinloki1]

Great prisons, truck stops and a theme park.

If you want to build a theme park of any decent size it will be impossible here unless you want to close it during summer, which is the tourist season. It IS too hot, people would be getting constantly sunburned and it would be miserable.

from the other posts on here it would be a museum not a theme park. Which could work but first of all it still makes no sense because I can't think of any contributions Arizona has offered to rock (or any music except maybe mariachi) second, we already have it, its called the rock and roll hall of fame.

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by odinloki1

Great prisons, truck stops and a theme park.

If you want to build a theme park of any decent size it will be impossible here unless you want to close it during summer, which is the tourist season. It IS too hot, people would be getting constantly sunburned and it would be miserable.

Maybe they could be open later at night in the summer.

Oh, incidently, a birdie told me the other day that Eloy is where a lot of kids hold raves. Hmmmm.

[odinloki1]

Originally Posted by Artliquide

Maybe they could be open later at night in the summer.

Oh, incidently, a birdie told me the other day that Eloy is where a lot of kids hold raves. Hmmmm.

Great that goes good with a theme park where tourists and families would want to go. I'm sorry but its the wrong idea for AZ in general. I don't think a place with the water issues that we have should be focused on all of this growth and expansion, especially when we all pretty much get our water from the Colorado and thats needed to grow a lot of the nations food over around Yuma.