Cedar Fair Opposes New 49ers Stadium

Share your memories of working at Marriott's GREAT AMERICA in Santa Clara
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dpxtreme
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Cedar Fair Opposes New 49ers Stadium

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Great America Owners To Oppose New 49ers Stadium
(AP) SANTA CLARA The San Francisco 49ers' plan to build a new stadium in Santa Clara appears to have hit a snag.

Team spokeswoman Lisa Lang and Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone say the owners of the Great America theme park—which sits next to the proposed stadium site—plan to formally oppose the project.

Lang says officials with park operator Cedar Fair Entertainment Company of Sandusky, Ohio, informed the team of its intentions.

A Cedar Fair spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Lang says the decision could result in the 49ers eventually buying Great America. She says Cedar Fair previously has indicated it may be interested in selling the property, and the team might be interested in solving a lingering parking problem.

This is the link
http://cbs5.com/politics/local_story_282194100.html

I just hope Great America will not be added to the "list" (Astroworld, Geauga Lake, etc.)
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Post by Angry_Gumball »

Here's an article from Cedar Fair themselves. (might get more info out of it)

CEDAR FAIR OPPOSES PROPOSED 49ERS STADIUM

SANDUSKY, OHIO, October 10, 2007 – The San Francisco 49ers, the City of Santa Clara and Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (the owner of Great America), have had a series of meetings to discuss the 49ers’ proposed new stadium to be located on Great America’s main parking lot. The land on which Great America and the parking lot is located is owned by the City of Santa Clara but is leased to Cedar Fair through 2039.

After a careful review of the 49ers’ proposal, Cedar Fair believes that the traffic, parking and other operational problems that would be created by putting the stadium in the middle of Great America’s main parking area are insurmountable and would place the continued operation of the park at risk.

Cedar Fair has analyzed information provided by the 49ers themselves regarding parking, usage dates, project footprint, and traffic flow. While other parties can weigh in on the fiscal and environmental risks that building a new stadium would bring to the residents of Santa Clara, we oppose the stadium as proposed for three basic reasons specific to the interests of Great America’s guests:

1. Unacceptable parking limitations for Great America visitors.

2. Increased congestion for Great America visitors.

3. Irreconcilable limits on Great America improvement plans.

When Cedar Fair concluded that an amusement park and the stadium as proposed could not successfully coexist, Cedar Fair offered the City and the 49ers the option of redeveloping the entire parcel. The next step will be for the citizens and the City of Santa Clara to decide: should the Great America site be used for a new 49ers’ stadium or should the park continue to operate? If the City and its citizens believe that the best use of this property is for a new stadium, then Cedar Fair is willing to consider selling the remainder of its lease and all of its interest and assets to the City or 49ers for fair market value.

Great America has been a favorite family destination for generations of visitors who enjoy clean, affordable, accessible entertainment. Cedar Fair is committed to maximizing the experience of our guests at Great America; the 49ers stadium as proposed is a threat to that commitment.

Cedar Fair is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, and one of the largest regional amusement-resort operators in the world. The partnership owns and operates 11 amusement parks, six outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels. Amusement parks in the company’s northern region include two in Ohio: Cedar Point, consistently voted “Best Amusement Park in the World” in Amusement Today polls and Kings Island; as well as Canada’s Wonderland, near Toronto; Dorney Park, PA; Valleyfair, MN; and Michigan’s Adventure, MI. In the southern region are Kings Dominion, VA; Carowinds, NC; and Worlds of Fun, MO. Western parks in California include: Knott’s Berry Farm; Great America; and Gilroy Gardens, which is managed under contract. Also included in that region is Star Trek: The Experience, a Las Vegas-based interactive adventure.
http://www.cedarfair.com/ir/press_relea ... ory_id=138




Sounds like that Cedar fair is not for the stadium, but if the city and citizens are wanting the stadium, then away goes Great America and in goes a stadium. Let's just hope that the city and citizens are wise about this (and keep GA)
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Post by PGA ROCKS »

Aw man, I hope this doesn't happen. It would be so horrible if Great America closed! That park has held so many memories. Hopefully, there is a way around this
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Post by dpxtreme »

The city said that GA is staying. They said that if Cedar Fair doesn't want the stadium, the city will work around it to keep GA in operation.
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Post by Angry_Gumball »

I personally don't think GA's going anywhere either. Personally, I think this all just a huge publicity stunt for both Cedar Fair and the 49ers. The park's been there too long and is a major bay area attraction. The 49er's should reconsider this instead of being a selfish football team (a good reason why I'm not a 49er fan) that wants to be as close as possible to their HQ. Football doesn't have as wide of a family spread as a theme park does, thus being more family friendly.

An article here (unbiased) mentions that the mayor of Santa Clara claims that GA is a huge part of their history and that isn't going to change. It also makes mention that if the deal can't be settled (either GA closing, or 49ers relocating) then this proposal is done for.

(Wow...I'm discussing this topic on like 3 different sites...lol, not to mention discussing it at work with some major football fans)[/url]
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Post by PGAsecurity99 »

If the Winers can't find a suitable location within San Francisco, then maybe they should move completely out of the area. Los Angeles still needs a football team, they should try moving there.

OK, realistically though, maybe they should give the Bay Meadows site a try. That location is closer to the City, it has a Caltrains station already, AND IT IS ALREADY SLATED TO CLOSE! They should just be happy that they no longer have to share their stadium with a baseball team.
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Post by PGA ROCKS »

The 49ers don't share a stadium with the Giants. They have their own: Monster Park at Candlestick Point, which is in South San Francisco.
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Post by PGAsecurity99 »

Very good PGA Rocks. That is why I wrote:
They should just be happy that they no longer have to share their stadium with a baseball team.
They have had the stadium to thereselves since 2001. We are all very aware of Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park. (FYI, Monster park is in the San Francisco city limits, in the Hunters Point District).

My point was this; the 49ers have their own stadium, where several teams e.i. the Raiders and Dolphins still share with a baseball team. They should be happy with what they DO have and not complain about what they DON'T have.
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Post by PGA ROCKS »

Oh, I see what you're saying. Good point. I just don't want Great America to go.
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Post by Angry_Gumball »

Again, I don't see GA going anywhere. Found this article yesterday at NCC about GA in '09.
The San Jose Mercury News has another good article on the Great America and 49ers situation today.

It's mostly focused on land assessment values that the Santa Clara County land assessor brought up, trying to give more strength to the notion that Cedar Fair is just working toward dumping the park all together. Sorta blah blah to me.

The Cedar Fair spokes person gave a nice quote to that end though, saying that they spent $6 million last year on the park and made plans to spend $15 million this year - showing they were not planning on trying to get ride of the property.

Okay - a moved Top Spin from Geauga Lake does not cost that much. Her wording is also unclear as to what years she means - but they didn't fully own it in a lot of '06 so the $6 million must have been '07 and '08 must be getting the $15 million.

I've heard that the park was picked to receive a wooden coaster - yes - a la Renegade at Valleyfair!. Depending on how specific the spokes person was being, well, a bunch of that $15 million could be put aside to start construction on the wooden ride for '09.

I could also be typing out of my bum though, I'm just going off of what I've heard. Anyone out there make any more sense out of all this than I do?
How much of this is really true is beyond me but if this is so, then I could see the park staying as something massive/expensive was just put in.

By the way, I found the article here: http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/
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Post by redfishpaw »

LA does not 'need' a football team.
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Post by PGA ROCKS »

^Yes, that's true. But I'd rather have L.A. get the 49er's than for Great America to get torn down!
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