Gurnee community question

[GreatAmerica4ever]

I need to ask a question that those who have worked in the parks and/or live in the Gurnee area would know more about.

Did/Does the companies who owned Great America and the area around Gurnee, Illinois always and still have a good political relationship together?

I was wondering how positive the town has been over the last 30 years of growth from just the theme park alone. Gurnee is definitely now a north suburb metropolitan of Chicago; I wondered if the residents and politicians ever thought that the town would be as large as it is now.

Since Great America has expanded so much in the past years, has/is Gurnee happy with it?

I don't get to hear much about northern Illinois in the Milwaukee news and I wondered about this.

Thanks!

[jonrev]

Without Great America, Gurnee would just be another farmtown in Illinois. Why would ties not be good between the village and the park?

[RLAiello]

I'd say the only times the relationship was probably ever strained were when SFGA tried to build something across the interstate (when they owned the land). There was a lot of disagreement about the traffic patterns, particularly when it came to the Washington Avenue interchange, which would have had to be rebuilt for the plan. That's what killed it, I believe, in the end.

In the end, however, it's probably good they didn't do it. The 'compromise' to build a water park inside the park's current boundary of acreage seems to have worked out great-- without sacrificing too much of the integrity of the area surrounding the park or the park itself.

[redfishpaw]

I. Gurnee is definitely now a north suburb metropolitan of Chicago; I wondered if the residents and politicians ever thought that the town would be as large as it is now.

The 2000 population of Gurnee was under 29,000. Gurnee still is technically a small village.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurnee,_Illinois
http://www.gurnee.il.us/admin/community ... sults.html
As Gurnee is by Waukegan. I dont blieve Gurnee is listed anywhere or really considered to be a suburb of Chicago especially considering that Gurnee is so far north of chicago (about 40 miles) also is approx 20 miles north the northern suburbs and even 10 miles away from the far north suburbs....
here is a map of northern suburbs, Gurnee is off of the map (north)
http://www.wildonions.org/InteractiveMa ... go_Map.htm

[Tech Services 1]

Did/Does the companies who owned Great America and the area around Gurnee, Illinois always and still have a good political relationship together?
. . .

There always seemed to be a love/hate relationship between the park and the town during the Marriott years. The town LOVED the revenue stream from the taxes and the large fees they collected on every single admission ticket. They hated the crowds and the noise.

Most of the problems were with some of the homeowners right on the edge of the park. They didn't sell out when Marriott offered to buy their homes, and then they constantly called the town officials to complain about the noise from the rides, concerts, cars, etc.

It used to drive us crazy when some technically-illiterate town officials got together and made up rules to limit audio levels from the outdoor concerts; they had no idea what they were talking about, yet we were forced to make the sound companies try to comply with the regulations. (The traffic noise from I-94 actually exceeded the town's standards!)
We pretty much just went through the motions, and everyone was happy . . . even though we really didn't do anything . . .

Then of course the town always found reasons to increase the entrance fee every year . . . they sure loved that money . . .

Marriott's wanted to open a waterpark on their land on the other side of I-94. Rumor had it that two things killed that idea; the town didn't want it, and the Tollway commision wouldn't allow a tunnel to be constructed under the highway to link the parks together.

I have no idea what the realtionship is like these days. Seeing as Gurnee has grown about two-thousand percent in the last 20 years, it would seem to me that the park is the least of the town's worries.

PPG

[BillK]

The one house I still remember was an older farmhouse-style home located directly across the street from the station for the American Eagle. I would imagine the noise would have made continuing to live in it impossible.

[BrianPlencner]

The one house I still remember was an older farmhouse-style home located directly across the street from the station for the American Eagle. I would imagine the noise would have made continuing to live in it impossible.

Its interesting that you mention that section of land. There was actually another house that was torn down in recent years that was just across the street from the lift hill.

My ultimate dream would be to by that property, and build my house there. So, every morning when I would get up and look out my window, I would see the Eagle!

--Brian

[BillK]

That may have been the same house I was thinking of, as I no longer see a house where I remember one looking at Google Maps.

[Imeanbusiness]

I am so totaly with you on that one Brian!

[Tech Services 1]

The one house I still remember was an older farmhouse-style home located directly across the street from the station for the American Eagle. I would imagine the noise would have made continuing to live in it impossible.

Its interesting that you mention that section of land. There was actually another house that was torn down in recent years that was just across the street from the lift hill.

My ultimate dream would be to by that property, and build my house there. So, every morning when I would get up and look out my window, I would see the Eagle!

--Brian

Look in the background at the top of this photo:

http://www.greatamericaparks.com/images ... m=33&pos=7

Are those the houses you guys are thinking of?

PPG

[BrianPlencner]

Yes. That row of houses are the ones that I was thinking of.

I believe most of them are still there, but I know that one is gone now.

--Brian

[xxlatinogueroxx]

Gurnee is a small village but gots tons of commericial business there. They hae the mall, many places to eat and of course Six Flags. Also Gurnee is slightly above middle class and some neighborhoods are rich neighborhoods. Look at the wikepedia link and many Chicago Bears players live there.

[BillK]

Look in the background at the top of this photo:

http://www.greatamericaparks.com/images ... 138&pos=15

Are those the houses you guys are thinking of?

PPG

Yep, those are the ones.

[WestBurbs14]

Tech Services 1,

When I click on the link, I get a picture of The Edge. What is the number of the photo you're talking about?

[Tech Services 1]

Tech Services 1,

When I click on the link, I get a picture of The Edge. What is the number of the photo you're talking about?

I fixed the link.
Sorry, I must have moved some photos around since posting in this thread!


-PPG