Fresno Theme Park Update: What’s the Hold Up?
Today in Fresno, California, officials of the City Council were supposed to get an update on the status of the $2 billion theme park planned by Universal Studios and NBC Universal. However, City Council President Luiz Chavez said at the time that, once the deal was finalized, construction could be completed in 18 to 24 months — now seven months later and seemingly no construction has begun. What’s the hold up? And why aren’t residents hearing anything from city officials?
A look back at what we’ve learned
Construction on this theme park has been in limbo for months, but it seems like there might be an update finally. A Fresno City Council President Luiz Chavez said at the time that, once the deal is finalized, the theme park could be completed in 18 to 24 months. It is now seven months later and seemingly no construction has begun. This location was chosen for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it will help revitalize a struggling area of town that is currently full of abandoned buildings and vacant lots. The city also hopes to attract more tourists to come into town and spend their money as well as bring more jobs to local residents who are looking for work.
An update on recent developments
There are a number of reasons why we are certain that the park will start construction soon. First, Luiz Chavez himself said that he is confident the project will be completed in 18-24 months. Secondly, this timeline falls in line with other water parks around the world – Aquatica Orlando took 18 months to complete, and Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast took 15 months to build. And finally, we know that they have already cleared over 30 acres of land for development.
Why are we so certain they will start building soon?
It is hard to say for sure, but it seems that there are a few possible causes for this delay. First, as Fresno City Council President Luiz Chavez said at the time that, once the deal is finalized, the theme park could be completed in 18 to 24 months. This deadline was set by the CEO of Six Flags Magic Mountain and CEO of Hard Rock International—and with their recent acquisition by Premier Parks, Inc., we now have three different owners at play in this situation.
A second cause for delay may be due to legal issues surrounding whether or not Six Flags can start construction without going through an environmental review process—which would take around two years and cost about $2 million.
Join me next week when I’ll have some answers
I’ve been digging around and have uncovered some interesting insights about why construction of the Fresno City Council President Luiz Chavez’ proposed theme park has not started. The project has been in limbo for months and questions are being raised about its viability.
It turns out that it was a tough sell to get investors to come on board with this project because, from a business perspective, there is not much upside potential in investing in a theme park when current parks like Aquatica (Orlando) are seeing lower attendance numbers than they were just ten years ago. This can be attributed to increased competition from newer parks like Siam Park (Costa Adeje), which opened in 2007 and has gone through massive expansion since then.
What is the largest waterpark in Southern California?
Aquatica is a waterpark located in Southern California. It is owned by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. The park opened on May 28, 1998, as SeaWorld San Diego Aquatica with just a few slides and one wave pool, but after less than two years of operation, it was closed for renovations. It reopened on March 1, 2001 as Aquatica with more attractions and a greater emphasis on animal conservation. It has since grown to become the largest waterpark in Southern California.
What happened to Wild Rivers?
Wild Rivers water park in Fresno, California closed its doors in 2010 after experiencing financial difficulties. The park had been in operation for over 30 years and was a favorite among locals. The closing of Wild Rivers left a void in the area, with no other options for those looking to spend their days on the slides and wave pools.
But now that void might be filled again, as plans have resurfaced for an amusement park complete with roller coasters and water slides. City Council President Luiz Chavez said at the time that, once the deal is finalized, the theme park could be completed in 18 to 24 months. It is now seven months later and seemingly no construction has begun.
How deep are the pools at Raging Waters?
Raging Waters is a water park located in San Dimas, CA. It is a very popular place for local families during summer to cool off and have a good time. The water park has many different pools of varying depths. The shallowest pool has about two feet of depth and it is great for kids who are just learning to swim or for adults who would like to cool off but do not want to go deep underwater.
What is America’s largest indoor waterpark?
America has over 50 waterparks with some of them being the largest in North America. The largest indoor waterpark is called Wet’n’Wild which is in Oxenford, Australia. This is a family-friendly park with many slides and pools that are perfect for all ages. They also have a lazy river and a wave pool! It offers many attractions such as Driftwood Bay – an interactive play area for kids, Dolphin Bay – where you can swim with dolphins, and Shipwreck Rapids – where you can ride through rapids on tubes!
