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Goodbye Six Flags Astroworld - Park Closing in 2005


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Well, I never thought I'd be saying this but..Goodbye Astroworld.

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050912/leisure_sixflags.html?.v=5

Six Flags to close Houston's AstroWorld

Monday September 12, 6:01 pm ET

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Aiming to take advantage of rising real estate values in Houston, Six Flags Inc. (NYSE:PKS - News). said on Monday it would close its AstroWorld theme park in the city at the end of the 2005 season and had engaged Cushman & Wakefield to market the 109-acre site.

Six Flags said in a statement the sale would be subject to the approval of its bank lenders and proceeds would be used for debt reduction and general corporate purposes.

 

Six Flags said 119 permanent jobs would be lost as a result of the closure and a number of AstroWorld employees likely would be offered jobs at other company theme parks.

 

 

You've taken a lot of crap from people over the years, but smart people realize you're still better than a lot of the SF parks.

 

Sad

 

Note: Download our Six Flags Astroworld Video Segment Here:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/videos/video.htm

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From a monetary standpoint it's a great move, especially when the park is trying to dump debt like they are. This is money that will go directly at that debt plus the park gets "new" attractions for other parks.

 

It really is a win win situation even if you hate to see it happen. It's nothing new either as hundreds of parks have succombed to the same fate over time.

 

Maybe a mad dash to Texas beofre the end this year is in order.

 

They are definitely selling for the Real Estate alone and not to sell the park with the attractions to be operated again.

 

That park sits on some VERY prime real estate.

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Dude, this is insane!!!

 

I think it's a good thing...not totally sure yet, but I think!

 

Ok, let's start guessing where all the rides are going to go!

 

SLC - Enchanted Village

Woody - Scrapped

Ultra Twister - Scrapped

Standup - Elitch

Shuttle Loop - Parts

XLR8R - Frontier City

Other Scwartzkopf - SFFT

 

I'm hoping SWAT will go to SFMM but I doubt that, we could really use some flats.

 

Oh gosh, and the Intamin drop tower...isn't that a 225'??? SFMM should get that too!!!

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^^ Agreed.

 

I mean, Reliant Stadium, Astrodome and the Astro's new stadium are ALL right there.

 

From reading the article, and the SF statement it appears the sale is just for the land. Since they are sending some stuff to SplashTown. I would think this would be Diablo Falls and some of the slides in the water park.

 

I say send at least SWAT and Demon Drop to SFMM, God knows they need a new flat and a new drop tower.

 

I just hope that Viper, Greezed Lightning and TX Cyclone find new homes. Isn't the Shuttle Loop some landmark thing?

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Maybe SfoG will get the Serpent....oh well, its scrap now. If Froniter City gets anything they will probably put it in storage like they did with Dexter Frebish/Excalibur. I really wanted to ride Greezed Lighning though, its was the new coaster when I went to Astroworld.

Edited by Erik Johnson
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SFAW seemed to be the redheaded stepchild in the chain because everyone used to talk smack about it. When I visited there a few years ago, I saw a lot of great customer service and the rides were pretty well run. The food could have used improvement, though. But SFAW seemed to be trying to improve themselves over the bad stuff people have said to them over the years.

 

Now I wonder if SFNO will ever reopen.

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Totally shocking decision, but I guess it makes sense since the land is worth so much $$$. I just hope some of the coasters get saved. I can see SFFT getting Texas Cyclone, throwing it in where Jokers Revenge used to be. I wonder if SFGAd wants their Ultratwister and standup back?

 

Its a shame though that Six Flags didn't try to just move the park elsewhere in the city, since it is the 4th largest market in the country. Any Six Flags park that can not add a new coaster since 1999 and still make money has to have something working in its favor, this time its city's population and prime location. Maybe outside the city wouldn't have worked, but we'll never know, as Six Flags doesn't build parks anymore, only buy old parks and keep them treading water for a few years before cutting them off.

 

Sad though, I actually enjoyed Astroworld, moreso than SFEG, SFKK, SFA, Great Escape, SFNO, or Enchanted Village. It had some charm to it, and theming.

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Six Flags is self insured .. so that insurance money is gonna be hard to come by.

 

BTW, the Astro's play in downtown, the parking situation is a big reason for this, it was to go to court on the 23rd but I'm guessing that is no more. I hope they relocate the PR and Chuck to another park.

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