Six Flags Inc. will close its Kentucky theme park because of a lease dispute, but its remaining 13 U.S. parks — including Six Flags New England in Agawam, Mass. — are not affected as the company restructures under bankruptcy protection.
New York-based Six Flags said it had “proposed a new lease arrangement” to the Kentucky Fair Board, which owns the property where the 59-acre park sits. But the board rejected the proposal, the company said.
A spokesman for Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson said, however, that the city was still hopeful a new lease could be negotiated.
“Kentucky Kingdom is too important of an institution and employs too many people to have our city lose it,” said Chris Poynter, a spokesman for Abramson. “We’re hopeful that it’s not a done deal.”
However, Kentucky Kingdom spokeswoman Carolyn McLean said all 55 employees of Kentucky Kingdom were told Thursday the park would close.
Kentucky Kingdom employed about 1,000 summertime seasonal workers, mostly teenagers, in addition to the full-time staff, McLean said. She said it was the largest employer of teens in the state.
Six Flags is the world’s largest regional theme park company with 19 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to the news release. In 1998 it took over Kentucky Kingdom, the state’s largest theme park, comprised of amusement park rides as well as a water park.
Six Flags has been in bankruptcy protection since June, burdened by high debt and declining park attendance.
Six Flags reported $457 million in total revenue for the quarter ending Sept. 30, a 7 percent decrease from the same quarter the previous year. Attendance for the quarter was 12 million, down 1 percent from 2008 the company said in a financial statement on its Web site. (AP)
