Frontier City

[AFCM]

This video will make you question why Frontier City hasn't added any new rides.

YouTube - Backyard Roller Coaster POV

If this Oklahoma man can have his own roller coaster in his backyard, why can't FC add just one ride? Let's hope the new ownership will turn things around.

[HOT ROD]

Elitch's moved to downtown Denver because they ran out of land where they originally were. And at that time, downtown was in the dumps but there were HUGE projects being built - Coors Field, a remodelled/rebuilt Mile High stadium, and Pepsi Center. In addition, Lower Downtown LoDo was taking off - so to seal the deal - they wanted to develop that parcel of industrial land near downtown Denver - either housing or .... Elitch's Gardens. They combined the water park and amusement rides, and voila! Six Flags came in to market it and there you go.

I think OKC should do the same thing, but NOT in Bricktown. Lets put the park somehwere else. We cant have EVERYTHING in Bricktown. I say, lets put the new Frontier City/WhiteWater Theme Park along the OK river SW of downtown. That is the PERFECT LOCATION and would significantly pick-up that area.

Besides, Frontier City would be a great park if you JUST added the water rides from White Water ALONE! Add in several more theme rides and a few roller coasters - then Frontier City wouldn't be that far off from Elitch's Gardens. Move it near downtown, and the park could enjoy the same success.

Perhaps we should write the city so they can start to promote our idea - but like I said, the combined/expanded park should be SW of downtown along the OK river NOT IN BRICKTOWN!!!

However, I do think downtown should have a lone ferris wheel - similar to most cities in Japan - they have a ferris wheel in their downtown. This would be separate from an expanded frontier city but I think it is an addition to downtown proper that would work. I say, the ferris wheel should be added to the Ford Center or a new shopping arcade in S. Downtown.

But Frontier City, once again, should be SW along the river.

[SoonerDave]

okclee, there's a contradiction in your argument supporting a park in downtown OKC. Presumably, a Bricktown-oriented park would grab locals and those hitting the I-40 corridor - and that implies a big park. But that last comment is prefaced by saying "I don't see OKC ever having a park that woud compete with Six Flags DFW."

If such a park is successful, why on earth would you have to supplant it with MORE of those forsaken casinos like those that litter the roadsides along I-35? Those are pathetic eyesores, and from what I understand about "gaming," don't attract what are considered the "quality" gamers (whatever that means).

The bottom line is that downtown is the *wrong* spot for an amusement park. Even if it were, I think we as a city have to be very careful about our current preoccupation with everything downtown necessarily having to be successful - or, conversely, anything successful having to be downtown.

Jbrown hit the nail on the head; an amusement park implies land, and lots of it, because its the fuel that makes the parks perpetually successful until they become so engrained in a region that they, to an extent, become self-sustaining. Bricktown is an evening-oriented entertainment district, and I frankly can't think of an area in the broader downtown region that would even make sense for such a park.

I long back for the early 80's when a hot rumor was that Disney was planning to build a mid-America DisneyWorld in southern Oklahoma, which for whatever reason obviously never happened....but I digress.

I think Frontier and WW have dodgy futures ahead of them. WW is in a lousy location in an increasingly business/industrial area, and FC needs more work than $1.5 M could possibly accomplish. But I suppose you must start somewhere, so you have to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. As others have mentioned, neither park is a destination for anyone crossing through town, and I've seen nothing new about either park that will compel me to visit either place in lieu of my family's annual trip to SFOT...

-soonerdave

[jbrown84]

Thanks, SoonerDave, for backing me up on this. We do seem to have a preoccupation with putting everything downtown as evidence in all the bemoaning of the location of the new History Center.

Yes, Elitch Gardens did help revive downtown Denver by moving, but as Hot Rod said, they were out of land where they were. Now they face the same problem as there is little land left for expansion.

The best option for Frontier City/WWB is for the parks to be combined at the FC location, along with major upgrades and new thrill rides. On top of all the extra land the park already owns, there is an abundance of undeveloped or dilapidated property on its borders.

There just isn't a place downtown where there is enough land to build a good park, all the parking that would be needed, and allow room for expansion. As valuable as the Frontier City and White Water properties may be, there is no way they would cover the cost of even the land purchase for a relocation to the downtown area.

[Kerry]

Frontier City wanted to expand about 15 years ago to the land they own west of the park but they were prevented by the homeowners in the area. They wanted to put parking on that side of the road and expand the rides into the current parking lot. When the local homeowners found out they raised hell and the plan was killed. That is why this land is still vacant.

There is plenty of available land near downtown. The land is north of Reno, east of I-235 and west of MLK. It is now home to a junk yard, container storage facility and a gravel query. There is also a large parcel owned by the Union Pacific Railroad and appears to be used for equipment storage. There appears to be over 200 acres in this area. Judging from the property appraiser web site current market value is less than $2.5 million.

By compariosn - the current Frontier City sits on 38.2 acres with a market value of around $700,000. This doesn't include a few smaller undeveloped parcels owned by Frontier City around the park. White Water sits on 21 acres with a value of $1.1million.

Selling the land would raise almost enough to buy the downtown land but would give 4 times as much room. They could build a larger park and develop a resort hotel on-site. Plus, they have access to 3 interstates (I-40, I-35, I-235), two major interchanges, and has the rail road running next to the property along the proposed commuter rail line. Like I said - they could start with 12 rides and build from there. If I knew anything about running an amusement park and had the financial backing I would try it.

[Nixon7]

DOWNTOWN ON THE RIVER!!!! There is plenty of land. Both locations suck now. By the same time I can be at FC, I could also be in the Arbuckles headed for Arlington, where I will continue to go.

[HOT ROD]

I echo Nixon, they really should combine the parks and move it near downtown on the Oklahoma River. There's plenty of land and there is the question of how to fully develop the river.

I would think the combined park at a location just SW of downtown OKC would be EXTREMELY lucrative for both the park and downtown, there's plenty of land, access is great with 4 major interstate routes nearby and AMTRAK + commuter rail, and it provides a new destination for downtown that - even if they just combined WW and FC rides/attractions of today - would be a great park just smaller than Elitch's Gardens in Denver. Add in several theme rides and coasters - then it would be on par.

Perhaps I should write the city about this.

[okclee]

I have stated both "downtown and bricktown", either area to me would be ideal. I would not be picky with the location as long as it would be a combined park of FC and WW. I do agree that finding enough land somewhere in this vicinity could be a problem, but not an impossibility. I do like the idea of an amusement park being located SW of downtown along the river, as stated by HotRod.


Soonerdave..........I should have said that "I don't see OKC ever having a park that woud compete with Six Flags DFW" at the current location.

Also as far as casinos go that should be for another discussion, although I did bring it up. I don't really gamble or frequent casinos so I really don't know enough on the subject (not a moral decision for me, it's I don't like to lose money). We wouldn't need casinos to draw people to an amusement park that is primarily for families. I just threw that out there as the idea of a downtown casino has been mentioned in previous areas of Okctalk, much like other downtown attractions.

You say that "we as a city have to be very careful about our current preoccupation with everything downtown necessarily having to be successful".

I agree that not everything needs to be located in a downtown area, but Okc is far from that. In my opinion Okc first looks outside the core of downtown (i.e. Memorial road, Edmond, Moore, Yukon), we have a downtown that is only in it's infancy.

[HOT ROD]

well put OKCLee,

you're right, downtown is still very young and could use another 10 years or so worth of attractions and improvements. downtown is supposed to be the dense entertainment draw and while downtown is pretty dense and getting better - we are no where near the level of peer cities in the Tier II level with regard to having a vibrant downtown.

This is why many on this forum often speak of downtown as the location for anything FIRST location that's coming to OKC, especially top attractions. That is what the world looks at when they rate a city or determine where they might visit - the vibrancy of the inner city. The suburbs could have this and that - every city's suburbs do. But it is downtown where the vibrance and action should be;

and OKC has a while now to go before we start screaming for investment to be shared with the suburbs again.

Imagine the current downtown, with all it has to offer, plus

1) relocated Supersonics of the NBA and Storm of the WNBA
2) the largest IMAX theatre in the state (and/or region)
3) relocated and combined Frontier City/WhiteWater Theme Park (to the immediate SW on the OK river)
4) 3500+ hotel rooms of varying sizes and price ranges
5) 5000+ permanent residences in the downtown districts, with 10,000 more in surrounding districts; giving a central city population of 22,000 residents
6) retail beyond the current in the downtown districts, including the state's ONLY Nordstrom and/or Neiman Marcus anchoring a new revamped downtown retail quarter
7) the rise of downtown other than Bricktown
a) Automobile Alley becomes the HIP urban enclave for the city, drawing locals and tourists for the best OKC has to offer in entertainment, including some live yet local theatre, chic restaurants and bars, top danceclubs, and upscale retailiers
b) A mature arts district that includes several new theatres and museums and galleries
c) A flatiron district anchor'd by the Oklahoma City Town Center and Triangle neighbourhoods - complete with live/work residential, specialty retail, and local entertainment draws
d) A mature deep duece neighbourhood that has classy venues and residential of the mid/high-rise nature instead of the same-old OKC spread-out apartment complex
e) The emergence of the new Downtown South district of downtown
f) The emergence of the new West Downtown district, another hip urban neighbourhood to compliment Automobile Alley but from an Adult prospective with numerous nightclubs, restaurants, and bars
g) an expanded CBD to include the Convention Center and Ford Center and a bit further south and west (there's no reason to call the Convention Center and Ford Center - the Arts district. there's nothing art about them but they are KEY to business and entertainment which is what a CBD really is).
h) A bricktown much more mature than what we have that contains top urban architecture in low and mid-rise fashion with all buildings having brick facade

I think when downtown Oklahoma City gets to this level ^, we can start talking about sharing the wealth with the suburbs again. Until then, we wont even be at par with many Tier II cities like Denver and New Orleans (downtown wise) and it would continue to be tough for Oklahoma City to justify pulling events away from the likes of KC, Dallas, and STL much less keep what it has from Tulsa, Omaha, and Little Rock.

What am I saying? We need to start thinking big for our downtown. Drop the suburbs for a while - OKC has some of the most convenient suburbs with lots of attractions already, we need to focus on downtown for the next 10 years or so.

Once downtown has attractions like I mention, OKC wouldn't have to worry about what WA Senator Margarita Prentice would say negatively about the city - because she wouldn't have anything negative to say, would she?

[CuatrodeMayo]

Count me in for the river. There is hundreds of acres of land on the south side of the river. I'm with Kerry...if I had the money I would do it in a heartbeat. Something like this:

I have solved Oklahoma City's theme park problem. Here's what developers should do. Grab that junk land that is just south of the Oklahoma River and just west of I-35. There has to be at least 200 acres out there. Clear out the brush and oil tanks. Add a lake to the banks of the river and build a decent theme park called Delmar Gardens at Spring Lake. Then, when Frontier City finally puts itself out of its misery and takes the poor management with it, we can just simply incorporate a theme section of the park called Frontier City. It would be one of four theme sections of Delmar Gardens. The Frontier City section, which would be no rides and just shows with a "wild west" middle of Main Street gun fight acts; Wedgewood Village, a tribute to a past Oklahoma City theme park next to Lake Hefner (this is where all of the super steel roller coasters would be); Belle Isle Park, a section themed for carnival rides and state fair-like atmospheres; and then finally, White Water Bay, next to 'Spring Lake', the mini-lake built off of the Oklahoma River.

[Patrick]

okcpulse's ideas sound fantastic!

[okclee]

okcpulse's ideas sound fantastic!

If I had a few extra million lying around the house I would give it to okcpulse for his idea.

I did a drive around today and went east on Reno, that is the perfect spot for the okcpulse amusement park.

[Kerry]

The new White Water would have to be an indoor park. Year around water slide would be great.

[JavaDaves]

Dismantling the existing rides at Frontier City and WhiteWaterBay would be costly. I don't see the problem with operating them at their current locations and simply improving the parks.

[metro]

Water park, Frontier City significantly renovated

By Paul Monies
Business Writer

A fresh lick of paint, long-overdue repairs and the first new ride in four years will greet customers this summer at Frontier City, the theme park's new operators said Wednesday.
The Wild West robbery-theme Quick Draw ride should be in place by early June, said Randal Drew, president and chief executive of PARC Management LLC. It will join a new magic show and a musical celebrating the state's centennial as part of the company's effort to attract local visitors back to the theme park.

"The quality of the experience will be significantly better, and the entertainment value will be significantly enhanced,” Drew said.

Quick Draw will take visitors on an interactive ride through several scenes from a Wild West robbery — a theme aligned with the amusement park's Western heritage. Visitors will shoot at targets along the way, allowing them to compete against friends and family members. The attraction recently won best new product honors from the industry's trade group, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

Florida-based PARC Management bought Frontier City, White Water Bay and five other parks from Six Flags Inc. earlier this month for $312 million. PARC then sold to a real estate investment trust called CNL Income Properties Inc., but PARC will operate the parks through a long-term lease.

Drew said the company's Oklahoma City parks suffered from a lack of investment as Six Flags concentrated on its larger parks in bigger cities. Since taking over, PARC has invested in paint, repairs, air conditioning and other long-overdue improvements to the parks' infrastructure, he said.

"We are very concentrated on the community here,” Drew said. "We've put more capital into the parks this year, and we'll continue to put capital into the parks. You will see huge differences at Frontier City and White Water Bay.”

The company also is committed to giving its local managers more autonomy, he said.

"We have a bottom-up leadership style,” Drew said. "We believe in being active stewards, directed by local managers who go to work, attend church and send their kids to school in the community.”

Michael Lusky, vice president and general manager of Frontier City and White Water Bay, said he's excited about the season at both parks. Frontier City's summer concert series will feature classic rock acts such as Three Dog Night and Joan Jett, as well as country and Christian artists.

Frontier City's new magic show will feature illusionist David Thomas, who made a cameo appearance during a preview of the live shows at the park Wednesday. Meanwhile, "Oklahoma Rising” will be a musical tribute to the state's summer centennial celebrations.

"We're hoping to make an enhanced connection with guests in everything from pricing to park merchandise,” Lusky said.

The company has not raised ticket or parking prices at either park. Meanwhile, White Water Bay has received extensive renovations, Lusky said. Both parks will feature new food menus, including value meals and no transfat ingredients.

Drew said he hopes area residents of all ages will return to the parks to see the changes. Season passes are $59.99 for both parks, not including parking.

"I'm asking them to give us a try,” Drew said. "Come back to the parks where they created memories and make some more.”

Frontier City began weekend operations March 31, and will begin daily operations June 2. White Water Bay begins its season May 19, with daily operations beginning June 1.

Randy Drew, president and chief executive of PARC Management, stands Wednesday at the Wildcat games with the entrance to the Wildcat roller coaster in the background at Frontier City. by Paul B. Southerland, THE OKLAHOMAN

[okclee]

LMAO............did anyone see this new ride "Quick Draw" on the news KOCO 5 last night ???

This new ride is a big freakin joke.

[Easy180]

LMAO............did anyone see this new ride "Quick Draw" on the news KOCO 5 last night ???

This new ride is a big freakin joke.

Didn't see it but it sounds AWFUL....Frontier city and WW need a lot more than new paint, menus and a magic show...Still way early, but I hope they step it up in the next few years

[okclee]

If anyone remembers one of the first Nintendo games called Duck Hunt, that game is this ride.

This ride consisted of a very slow moving ride-car going through dark tunnells, the people on the ride each had these plastic bright orange guns that looked like left over nintendo game guns. Then these corny yosemite Sam looking cowpokes would pop out and they would shoot them.

This video looked like a ride from back in the kiddie area of a sixties amusement park. There are better rides at those carnivals that pop up in grocery store parking lots.

[jbrown84]

ANY investment is a step in the right direction.

[Easy180]

ANY investment is a step in the right direction.

You mean except for the ride okclee is describing right jbrown?

That one sounds like a better fit at Celebration Station

Hopefully this is the weakest addition to Frontier City and not the norm

[jbrown84]

Baby steps.

[Patrick]

ANY investment is a step in the right direction.

Exactly what I was thinking. Fixing what's already there is a good first step. At least they're not tearing down the theme parks. I wish new management the best....they can't do any worse than Six Flags did.

[writerranger]

Quick Draw will take visitors on an interactive ride through several scenes from a Wild West robbery — a theme aligned with the amusement park's Western heritage. Visitors will shoot at targets along the way, allowing them to compete against friends and family members. The attraction recently won best new product honors from the industry's trade group, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

It sounds bad, but with the honor above, somebody had to like it.

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

[Easy180]

The only way to attract and retain a world class theme park is to tear it down and build a new $500 million one...That is the only way OKC will be able to...

Wait a minute...Wrong thread

[jbrown84]

Sounds like 1960's OCURA thinking to me.