Frontier City

[HOT ROD]

Oh, and up Frontier City into a full theme park - maybe move it downtown!!! Like Denver did with their Elitch Gardens.

[jbrown84]

This has been discussed elsewhere, but I don't think it's practical at all to move Frontier City. As bad as people think it is, it's actually pretty well established and it should just be expanded at that location. Also, if the entire company is sold, the headquarters will go. Count on it. I just hope they will sell some parks off like the article suggests and continue to operate under this same ownership.

[Patrick]

We'll be lucky if Frontier City stays where it is in its current location. If it wasn't for the HQ being located here, Frontier City probably would've been closed already. Frontier City simply isn't drawing enough revenue to justify it staying open. I have to be honest here....as a business it makes no sense to invest more into Frontier City.

[okcpulse]

Time for a new theme park! OUT WITH FRONTIER CITY!!!!

[jbrown84]

Actually in the theme park business, the way to raise attendance is by investing in the park. Trust me, if they take several Astroworld rides and add them to Frontier City, attendance will increase. I haven't been in a couple years, and the main reason is because they haven't added anything new of significance.

[jbrown84]

As a business decision, it makes much more sense to expand Frontier City at it's current location than to create a brand new park in a new OKC location. Even if they moved most of the rides, that's extremely cost prohibitive.

[GrandMaMa]

Again, I started following a thread that is a couple of years old, so will not reply to anyone's post, I will just submit a personal comment and suggestion: Frontier City is what it is and I feel is already a good base on which to enrich with "authentic and appropriate" exhibits, games, rides, etc that showcases Oklahoma's rich heritage. Our history and ongoing maturation is nothing to sneeze at and could and should be incorporated into every thread of what's inside the gates of Frontier City. It has been years since I've visited, so again, I may be redundant in my suggestions, but I would like to see Frontier City be an interesting, fun filled, living, breathing, interactive local museum. I don't mean a copy of Branson, but an inviting, teaching, intertaining family friendly, ever evolving place that peaks the interest of all ages, Oklahoma natives or not. It could also use an effective marketing orginization that actively recruites businesses, large and small for their training and recreational needs..'course, I guess they would have to have something to offer if they did that, correct?

[Midtowner]

My guess is that Frontier City in its current state is worth more as just land than it is as a Them Park. Expect to see an outlet mall or something of that nature take the park's place.

Same for White Water.

[jbrown84]

White Water maybe, but I adamantly disagree about Frontier City.

It is NOT in bad shape and it is NOT an eyesore. With the state of the development around it, no developer is going to want to put anything nice in there, especially when there's miles and miles of empty land along I-35 to both the north and the south.

All Frontier City needs is a little paint and a new roller coaster and it will be a major draw. People are just tired of it because the current management has not done anything with it in several years. It would be FOOLISH, FOOLISH, FOOLISH, to let it be sold to a strip mall developer or anyone else that wishes to dismantle it. I'm sure the conversion of Wedgewood to a bunch of now dumpy apartments was considered a good thing at the time, but now I think most people would rather have a cool old amusement park there. Same thing with Springlake (now MetroTech), Belle Isle (a stripmall as generic as they come), and Delmar Gardens (a slum).

[Pete]

Local group acquires theme parks

By Paul Monies
The Oklahoman

A local investment group said Thursday they have emerged as the new owners of Oklahoma City theme parks Frontier City and White Water Bay, although current owners Six Flags Inc. said the sale remains ongoing.

An investment group led by McAlester native Franklin Boyer and Oklahoma City businessman Ed Lynn said they reached a tentative agreement Tuesday with the theme park chain, which put the parks up for sale in January.

The group did not release financial details but expects the sale to close next week. However, Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said the sale process is ongoing.

"We have received multiple bids, which we are evaluating," Goldberg said. "We are expecting other offers to come in."

Goldberg said the company has not put a timetable on the sale of the local parks. However, Six Flags previously said it would keep the parks operational through the remainder of the season.

[Luke]

So far, so good.

Let's see what he does with the parks.

[HOT ROD]

Its about time

[Pete]

Possible agreement reached on local Six Flags parks: Local group reports tentative deal to buy White Water, Frontier City by Brian Brus
The Journal Record
6/30/2006 OKLAHOMA CITY – An investment group led by McAlester native Franklin Boyer and Oklahoma City businessman Ed Lynn announced Thursday they have “reached a tentative agreement” to purchase the Frontier City and White Water Bay theme parks from Six Flags Inc.

But Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg provided a subtly different perspective: “We’ve received multiple bids; we’re evaluating a number of offers; and we’re expecting more offers to come in,” she said from the company’s corporate offices in New York. When asked for elaboration on the deal, Goldberg said to take her initial comments “at face value.”

Neither side would reveal details of the offer. Boyer and Lynn said in their prepared statement that the agreement, reached Tuesday, is still subject to a comprehensive review of each park’s financial operations and physical plant, a process expected to be complete the first week of July.

Six Flags is still trying to find its way under new management and a changing entertainment industry. After shareholder Dan Snyder led a proxy fight and ousted former CEO Kieran Burke and other executives late last year, Mark Shapiro was named chief executive and president. Since then, the company has been exploring options to refine its business model, without publicly committing to a particular plan.

A week ago, Six Flags management announced the company could face higher operating expenses, making it “extremely difficult” to meet earlier guidance. The company also said it might find itself out of compliance with its bank credit agreement, which Six Flags needs in order to implement a turnaround, Motley Fool industry analysts reported.

The company also reported attendance was down 12.5 percent but that the average guest was spending 14 percent more. Revenues were down 1 percent for the year to date.

Frontier City on Interstate 35 has served as Six Flags’ nominal headquarters since the company was bought from Time Warner by Premier Parks in 1997. Industry experts have not expected the park and White Water Bay on Interstate 40 to remain in the company’s park portfolio following the executive management changes.

Boyer and Lynn could not be reached for comment Thursday, their spokesman Larry McAlister said.

Lynn, owner of the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar in northwest Oklahoma City, was named 2005 Franchisee Marketer of the Year. He serves as a member of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Commission and is a director of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association.

[Luke]

Hm, so somebody jumped the gun perhaps?

[BricktownGuy]

any official confirmation???

[Doug Loudenback]

As I've reiterated numerous times, I'm an outsider lookikng in. But, I can say this: Ed Lynn is the owner/operator of the NW Expressway Buffalo Wild Wings that has accomodated the presence/needs of www.hornetscentral.com needs so very well.

Aside from that, it would surely be a nice day today if local investors picked some fruit, this as well as other, to result in ownwership that is focused on Oklahoma City as opposed to to having other consdirations in mind.

Go for it, Ed Lynn!

[diesel]

Going from running the NW Expressway Buffalo Wild Wings to owning two theme parks, what a jump or addition...

[metro]

I was going to say. Owning a restaurant to two theme parks is quite a stretch, and a different business.

[Patrick]

He couldn't do any worse than Six Flags has done. I'm willing to give him a chance.

[moinponcacity]

I would love to see Oklahoma ownership over the two parks! I worked at White Water back in '88 and enjoyed every minute of it.

[writerranger]

I was going to say. Owning a restaurant to two theme parks is quite a stretch, and a different business.

So, would the only suitable owner of theme parks be an owner who already owns theme parks? Didn't they have to buy their first theme park at some time?
I know logic can sometimes be so difficult.

Ed Lynn and company will do fine!

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[ETL]

Sorry, but I would like to bring up this subject again. I probably should apologize for my ignorance on this subject, but that is why I wish to discus this now, seeing as how this has been left in the lime light for the past few weeks. Who owns Frontier City and White Water Bay?

[jbrown84]

Was a new thread really necessary?

As of now, Six Flags, Inc. owns the parks. There was an annoucement that a sale is pending but it may have been premature.

[ETL]

This probably a dumb idea, but could the city do the same thing as the Bass Pro Shop with Frontier City? What do you mean necessary?

[metro]

I think he means, why couldn't you continue talking in one of the existing threads already on this topic. By typing in an existing thread, it will bring it to the top of the list of topics, without having to create a new thread on an existing topic.