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Scotch Plains Amusement Park Bowcraft Is Closing


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So Bowcraft just posted on Facebook that they're NOT closing! It was (according to them) all rumors and the media ran wild.

 

Welp, sorry for perpetuating internet bullsh*t.

 

Oh, don't worry, I'm not blaming you as there were some decent (albeit Jersey) outlets reporting it!

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This is honestly very strange. While the sources were small and local, they seem to be legitimate. I have a hard time believing that they just made this up out of thin air and while they totally jumped the gun and blew this one it does make you wonder if the future of the park may be questionable.

 

I hate to say that because I know it could lead to tons of asinine speculation and I'm not pretending to know what's going on, but if you had plans to stop by this park it might not hurt to do it soon just in-case. Hopefully it all blows over and the park sticks around (there were rumors of Rye Playland closing for years and that never came to be) but it's better to be safe than sorry if you were planning on credit whoring, especially because I believe Crossbow is still for sale which is kind of odd.

 

I like Bowcraft so I hope it sticks around. It's not worth traveling for, but when I was there I remember thinking about how cool it would be for a kid to have Bowcraft in their back yard. It's a fun, well maintained little place.

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I think we just need to wait and see now. I'm confused.

 

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2016/09/bowcraft_amusement_park_to_become_apartment_comple.html

 

Bowcraft Amusement Park to become apartment complex

on September 30, 2016 at 11:51 AM, updated October 01, 2016 at 11:48 AM

 

SCOTCH PLAINS — The town's planning board unanimously approved a redevelopment plan Monday to turn the current Bowcraft Amusement Park into an apartment and townhouse complex.

 

The 13-acre property will be razed to build 190 apartments and 10 townhouses, with 41 affordable units included, township zoning official Robert LaCosta said. The complex will also include a clubhouse, a pool and play areas for kids.

 

The property developers still need to obtain several approvals from state agencies before they can buy the land and move forward.

 

"I really don't envision them breaking ground until possibly fall of 2017 or spring of 2018," LaCosta said.

 

In an email to customers, Bowcraft denied rumors the park was closing and said it would remain open this season and next season.

 

"Bowcraft is open for the remainder of the 2016 season, and will re-open for the 2017 Season in April of 2017. Also, the property is not sold. The property is owned by the same family since 1995," the email said.

 

The park will also have a haunted attraction "Pantophobia" for October.

 

The amusement park has been a mainstay in Union County since 1940, when World War II veteran Ted Miller opened it as an archery and ski equipment store with a small ski slope. Miller later added an ice rink, mini golf and amusement rides.

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Like I said, this story came from somewhere. It's not like it just popped up on an enthusiast forum and people ran with it, it was reported by actual (small) news agencies. It sounds like nothing is confirmed right now but heading out to this park just in-case might be a good idea. There's a lot of uncertainty swirling around this place.

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I don't think that the property developers that will be building the homes complex has actually bought the land yet. In the article it states that they need to get a few more approvals before they can "buy the land and move forward." It seems that they got an approval for this project before they even acquired the land. If bowcraft says they are reopening next season and that they haven't sold their land I think that might mean they aren't willing to sell the land to the builder, or that they haven't sold it yet and the park will be open another year. Only time will tell.

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or that they haven't sold it yet and the park will be open another year. Only time will tell.

 

If I had to venture a guess I'd say this sounds like the most probable scenario. Until the sale goes through the park can't confirm anything and is planning to operate normally but it's probably for sale and possibly has been for awhile now. The fact that their star ride has been for sale for years sort of backs up that theory.

 

This is nothing more than me speculating but I don't think this place is long for this world.

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It appears that sometime over the past week or so, what was left of the park was bulldozed and demolished. For those of you into park destruction porn, you can click through to this page on patch.com which has an embedded video of the demo going on.

 

Does anyone know if their Crossbow coaster ever found another home?

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