SF Kentucky Kingdom Closed

[sdcforever]

According to Screamscape, SFKK is closed for good as a direct result of their bankruptcy filing.  "As one of the only Six Flags’ parks on leased land, Six Flags had a window to re-negotiate the lease with the Kentucky State Fair Board as part of the corporate bankrupcty restructuring. The fair board had rejected the last offer that Six Flags had made to them in an attempt to modify the lease to ensure the long term viability and future of the park. As such, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is no more and the company will now begin the process of looking to relocate their full time staff to other locations and decide how to relocate and redistribute the park’s 40+ attractions to the other Six Flags locations."

Read more here:
http://screamscape.com/html/six_flags_kentucky_kingdom.htm

[tinmann620]

I woke up early this morning, just in time to catch this on LOCAL news!  It's sad for my family in Kentucky.  (Sounds a lot like the Bell's situation) KK started removing rides, the past couple of months, the largest coaster, Cheng, being the first.  Here's a link to the photos I took last year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30708145@N02/sets/72157622031119049/

[Swoosh]

I hate being this way, but no big loss.  SFKK had really gone downhill between my last visits (I visited it last summer).  The amount of neglect and the fact they shut down an entire section of the park made me think that the park was on "borrowed time" as it was.

SFStL should benefit from this closure by getting some of the slides (Deluge) from their waterpark

[shavethewhales]

I always hate to see more parks close. It's another stab into the industry as this means one more lost customer for all the service providers in the industry.

SFKK was dead in the water though. It was a shame to see such a unique ride as the twisted twins sitting there rotting away. I wish cities would stop being so stupid and work with the parks for once. I mean, they are so quick to bend over backwards for every chain restraint/hotel/sports attraction, but parks are always treated like crap even though they provide such huge boosts to the local economy.

[sdcforever]

Well, for the time being it looks like none of the remaining rides are leaving the site.  They previously removed the Chang rollercoaster, but only after getting approval from the Fair Board (they gave approval under the pretense that SF was expanding the water park).  According to the lease with the Fairgrounds, SF is not allowed to remove any more rides from the park; they are actually the property of the fairgrounds.  One of the new terms Six Flags was trying to get on the existing lease was to not have to pay any rent during the remaining years in exchange for a new profit share agreement.

Read more here:
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Whats-next-for-Six-Flags-Fair-Pres-says-rides-might-not-be-going-anywhere-83772172.html

[sdcforever]

The plot thickens.  Seriously, this story is turning into "As SFKK Turns".

At least four different theme park operators are interested in possibly taking over the site.  Six Flags leased 45 acres from the state for the park, but they also owned 15 acres and any rides on the Six Flags owned land seems to, naturally, be owned by Six Flags. While the state reports that they own the rides on the leased land, Six Flags reports that they have been the ones paying “property taxes” for the rides on that same leased land.  The obvious sticking point is if they don’t really own the rides, why were they paying property taxes on them?

Read more here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100210/NEWS01/2100389/Fair+board+may+seek+new+amusement+park+operator

[Tom]

Seriously, the only good thing about KK was Greezed Lightning.  Do you think the next park to get it will also be cursed? 

[sdcforever]

As expected, things are getting ugly.  The Kentucky State Fair Board has filed suit over the ownership of the park rides in bankruptcy court.  They want the rides and other attractions on fair property declared as fixtures (part of) the property.  Premier, the owner of SF, has filed countersuit over ownership of the rides.  The fair board is also suing for breach of contract and damages for the removal of any rides; in addition, they are accusing Premier of fraud over the removal of Chang, since its removal was approved by the fair board on the condition of a water park expansion that never happened.

Read more here:
http://www.wlky.com/entertainment/22648197/detail.html