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Good luck Danny Boy

 

The truth is if all of you got behind us and enlisted every one you know in one major effort together we might be able to move the city into allowing us the chance.

 

Are you kidding me? Do you really think the city is going to allow someone who can't spell at a 5th grade level to run this effort? Seriously, What the frak is "Toon"? I'm honestly flabbergasted. Hey, I have an idea, why not use the big dipper donation money to send Danny Boy to school to learn to spell?

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^Ah, I see, thanks. With all the spelling and grammar errors, I assumed that meant something else.

 

Danny has posted again by the way. Better spelling/grammar this time, although it's not perfect.

 

http://unofficialjazzlandinfo.yuku.com/reply/8396/Yet-another-news-story-on-the-Six-Flags-site-#reply-8396

 

Thank you for looking at the redevelopment plan. As you might notice, it includes several of the venues that have been suggested right here. We gave it to the city months ago, so chuckled a bit when we saw the various suggestions here. As to why the city hasn't moved forward yet, your guess is as good as mine. Your right that we don't have full financing lined up. Every time we get some one interested, time goes by without movement, and they go on to put there money elsewhere. We have proposed just what you said only asking for a letter of intent to start with, but still get nothing in response. All we need is something IN WRITING that states what deal they would agree to. But so far they wont even do something that simple and basic. We have made an offer with contractual mile stones, as you suggest. I will post our offer specifically if you want. There has NEVER been any commitment from the city, even when Nickelodeon was involved. I made this comparison to Ms.Aimee Quirk (Mayors office) months ago. How would an investor look at me if I went to him and said " I want to buy the Superdome, it can be run profitabilty, and I have the very best in the business involved" They'd laugh and say the Superdome isn't for sale! Guess what, same thing with the park! I cant PROVE to investors that the park property is obtainable, so why should they bother with due diligence. All we want is a written commitment that we can show investors. Then it will be on our shoulders to prove we can do it.

 

One aspect of our plan can be up and running by spring. There are movies wanting to use the property for filming and we have been talking with a Major Studio. The city has shut the property down and wont allow any more filming at the park site, you can confirm this with the film commission if you want. We want to do a back lot and this could actually be the first project we do. The film project we are talking about is about to give up and film some place other then New Orleans think about the money loss to the city as well as the jobs.

 

I hope this answers some of your questions, if you have others please ask, our goal as stated is to save the park, its just that simple!

 

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

 

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If you want to see what the park looks like on Jan. 21, 2011 from WWLTV news station click here (You can read the story in the website):http://www.wwltv.com/news/City-continues-search-for-redevelopment-ideas-for--114394789.html

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Danny Rogers speaks again!!

The HUD loan is not directly tied to the site at all. There are no leans against it at all. And we are not offering to buy it. Its not the best business deal for anyone. The city owes 15 million give or take still, but the fair market value of the property isn't anywhere near that. Ive talked with area Realtors to get the comps and based on what large pieces of raw acreage is selling for in NOE, it would be worth about 10 million if raw. With the condition of the "improvements" you must go down from there since it is in unusable condition. Its fair market value is closer to 7-8 million, and the city could never justify accepting an offer that low. And a potential buyer could not justify paying twice the fair market value just to satisfy the city's upside down loan. So instead we have proposed a lease agreement very similar to what Six Flags had. the letter of intent the city asked us to draft is at http://www.southernstaramusement.com/files/NO_LOI.pdf.

 

That was the middle of November. After that we offered to guarantee that the rent plus the sales tax revenues generated at the park would cover the HUD note (1.9 Mil per year) or we would make up the difference. We feel our offer is reasonable considering the condition of the park. Six Flags was paying about 1.4 million per year to as much as 1.7 million per year (it depended on revenue) and they were handed a park in perfect condition. our rent would be about half that based on conservative attendance projections. Considering the condition of the park and the amount we have to do to ever reopen I think that's fair. I am confident that the sales tax revenue will be more then enough to make up the difference, but as I said, we would guarantee any shortfalls.

 

Maybe in 2 or 3 years from now when the economy is back rolling you could talk some one else in to coming in, IF the place has not been vandalized so much by then that there is no point. That is a really BIG maybe! It would be an out of state company who could care less about the locals. And most likely want a TIF to even bother with it. Would the city and the people really want to add to the debt?? In the mean time we could be up and going and turning the place into something better then it ever was and at the same time saving the city and its tax payers 1.9 million per year. We would be working with local groups, every thing from non profits that want to improve the lives the city's youth, to high school entrepreneurial programs that can make t-shirts to sell at the park (as an idea), to areas foundations to help the city musicians.

 

And Toon, I dont want to be confrontational with you either. You had some good ideas, that like I said before, really fit into what we had already proposed to the city. We have even talked with some of potential investors you've mentioned from time to time. Green Building, etc., we want that too. We talked to a local Solar outfit a long while ago in fact. There are some good tubular skylights that we have looked into for the bathrooms and other ares to reduce the cost of operations. As far as reaching out, the city has reached out. Nobody else is intrested. They even had the folks from Blue Bayou / Dixie Landing come up for a look! How long do we you want them to sit and wait for that knight on the white horse to ride in? (News flash he's not coming!!!) You dont think that by now every one in the industry dosent know this park is just sitting? Do you see them pouring into town compeating to make an offer? Funny I was at IAAPA this year talking with every one I know and not one of them is intrested in going it alone! However some of them would indeed step in and help us if we do ever get the park. Trust me on this Toon they know all about this park! I don't know how unusual or mysterious the way I do business is. I kept thing quite and away from publicity while we tried to negotiate. But negotiating is a two way street. You don't hear about deals with the government until their done, but we want to be public about this and so that's why we put the redevelopment plans and now the LOI on our web site. If you don't think its a good deal for the city, then tell me what you would offer differently? What would you tell a potential investor while you sat and waited for the city to do something? What exactly dose the city have to lose by agreeing to a simple letter of intent?

 

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

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Marielgates-I'm not sure Batman was the only ride salvaged, wasn't the space shot/turbo drop sent to Great Escape? The Mega Zeph trains, RRE, the chaos, Pontchartrain flyers and Voodoo something were salvaged too, right?

 

The S&S Combo went to Great Escape and reopened as Sasquatch.

The Gerstlauer trains that ran on MZ went to SFSTL to be used as spare part donors for Boss, and now at least one full train is rotting in their boneyard I believe.

All of the shade structures built in 2003/04 were removed and transferred to other sites, such as the queue shade for Goliath @ SFFT. They may not be the same structures, but they're nearly identical so I can only assume they were moved with the ride.

The Vekoma rollerskater is about to be rebuilt @ SFMM.

The boats from the Spillway Splashout (Hopkins Chute the Chutes) were refurbished and moved.

Various theming elements were removed and plunked down in other parks.

 

I'm a little curious as to why they never tried to take any of the three Vekoma looping trains for all of the boomerang/Arrow coasters that could use spare parts. Or why they never touched Jester since they dumped money refurbing it in 2004 to fix the ride a bit.

 

 

Whatever, the park's dead. Move along.

 

The shade structures are being used on the Fiesta Bay Boardwalk at SFFT.....so you're right about their park placement.

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The shade structures are being used on the Fiesta Bay Boardwalk at SFFT.....so you're right about their park placement.

 

If there's anything I got out of being an ex-Danny Rogers advocate, it's an absurd knowledge of SFNO post-Katrina. At one point he went so far as to say that the company Martin & Vleminckx was going to do a refurb on the Mega Zeph and he was interested in installing Timberliners. No one knows if these conversations ever happened, but it was crazy to release that without actually...y'know...being legitimate.

 

Let me put it this way, I was 16 and he allowed me to be a moderator of the Southern Star Inc. message boards. Legitimacy vanquished.

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Has anyone asked him about why he couldn't come up with a down payment on the HUD loan if he has all this money lined up?

 

(Not that we don't already know the answer, but I am sure his response would be entertaining!)

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^

I remember that we asked him once in like 07/08, and he put it on the investors that backed out. This was the reason at least one or two more times. I've met Arnie Fielkow, who is a City councilman for the area the park is located in. I asked him about Danny and he kind of chuckle and said that "there were good intentions" or something along those lines.

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Its nice to see that I am giving you all so much joy! If I could see what I am writing it may help LOL My optomitrist is on vacation, wish they had seeing eye dogs for computer key boards (Ya Right!) If you have a question please ask and I will answer as long as your civil. Some items I cannot talk about, but if I can I will give you the lo-down, back story or just the dirt And one thing you can count on is the Real Story not just some one wanting to look good on the blog!

 

Nice to know that I can make your day, I am Danny Rogers CEO of Southern Star Amusement Inc.

 

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

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Well we are off to a good start if truth is indeed chaos then this is going to be fun! Oh and by the way I am the real deal not some impostor. (one candle of truth can split the darkness of a lie) So with that Hello Alex sorry if I in some way wronged you, however if you will remember you wanted to be on the blog and I don't recall ever asking your age, if you were just 16 at the time you seemed wise for your years and the blog just like this one is only a place to exchange ideas or ask a question of others. As to what you think of me that is indeed your right however please do get your facts right, the folks from MVR (Martin & Vleminckx) came to the park for an inspection and we did talk and in fact I talked with them at IAAPA about the park again. I have talked to a lot of companies about the rides and Mega Zeph is a major worry and MVR is just one company we are considering. MVR or OD Hopkins Amusement Rides, built the Log Ride and the Shoot the Chute and would be the ones to rebuild it. As Mega Zeph was built by Custom Coaster International (Now out of Business) I have had to look to other companies to do the work and yes MVR was one of them, but not the only one. Mega Zeph will be a major job to repair needing new trains new track and so on. For now we are looking and thinking about what would be the best, as that's all we can do for now.

 

So on to the next and I love this one!

 

The question was about investors and the HUD loan? This is a two in one question (answering two of you at the same time LOL)

First of all we were going for "GO ZONE BONDS" to be able to sell them to get the funding needed to rebuild the park. If we had all the investors needed why would we go for the bonds? Answer we don't have all the investors in place (SHOCK) never have had and we have NEVER stated otherwise! We have had some investors and still do but again we must have the park before one of them will put money into the project. (Go Figure) Well lets talk about the day that the State Bond board was meeting. First I was there as was our friends from Nickelodeon as was our investor representative (the person with the $500,000.00 deposit needed for the bonds) The one thing that we did not have was the letter from the city giving us control of the park! Mayor Ray Nagin had told the world that the park was to be a Nickelodeon Park but failed to do the paper work! In short we had no proof that the park would be turned over to us in writing and to this day never have. I made the call to pull back as we were not ready to ask the State for the bonds, having no proof that the park was to be turned over to us! The money was there, the paper work was not and that's the truth. I hope this clears the question up once and for all.

 

I look forward to your next question, and I hope I have not ruffled your feathers! LOL

 

As always

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

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I made the call to pull back as we were not ready to ask the State for the bonds, having no proof that the park was to be turned over to us! The money was there, the paper work was not and that's the truth. I hope this clears the question up once and for all.

 

In an Aug. 13 letter supporting the $100 million request, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said the proposal "will return the dormant Six Flags site to commerce and create an entertainment destination in one of the city's most devastated areas.
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To answer your question other then Mega Zeph there are two other steel coaster that will remain both are Vokoma and can be rebuilt with very little problem. Both would get new trains, new control systems as well as all new safety and braking systems and would be state of the art when reopened. There has been talk about redoing Mega Zeph with the new steel rail system as well. And yes before you ask we do have 2 other coasters in mind to bring in. But this may be after the first season depending on the investment we have to work with. The coasters we have in mind are both used but major steel, There is one other coaster left the Muskrat Scrambler (Wild Mouse) built by L&T Systems. This ride is in very poor condition and may need to be removed (replaced) and if so this would be new coaster number 3 (used rebuilt replacement) A water park is planed for the area that the Batman coaster was in and a replacement for the kiddie coaster removed by Six Flags is also planed for the first season.

 

I hope this answers your question

 

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

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Jew, to answer what you seem to be asking, I could run for President and say so in public, however if I don't file the required paper work its just talk just like what Mayor Nagin did TALK but never followed through! In government to make it real you must file the paper work and he did not, its just that simple.

 

Hope that clears that up.

Thanks

Danny

SSAI

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Just to clarify:

 

Mayor publicly announces support for redevelopment, writes a letter backing your bond proposal, negotiates a settlement with Six Flags (which was finalized in December of 2009)...and yet somehow, the deal couldn't get done. Yup. It's all the cities fault for publicly supporting the project while waiting for you to put your money where your mouth is in the form of that bond which would have made it worthwhile for them to lease the park to you.

 

I got news for you: promising to pay for security and a minimum of a $10 million investment in exchange for $1/guest rent is NOT a good deal for the city. If you sent THIS SAME LETTER to Mayor Nagin, it's a damn good thing he didn't sign it.

 

Speaking of money, how the hell could you not get $500,000 because "the mayor wouldn't sign some paperwork", Yet talk about offering $12.5 million to buy the park only a few months after walking away from the bond proposal?

Edited by Jew
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