I read an article recently about the Lakeside Amusement Park, and it got me thinking... Wouldn't having a local amusement park do wonders for the local economy? Or am I completely backwards and wrong? Would that cause higher crime, more tourism, or do both go hand in hand?

I'd like to see Roanoke grow in many aspects, but not necessarily getting any more overpopulated than it already is. I'd like to see more good places to eat, more places to shop, more entertainment, etc. It seems like we're headed in a decent direction after I saw everything they've done with Valley View Mall recently, or if you take note of any of the additions in that area within the last 2 years or so. Lots of new things!

If I was even around when the amusement park was there, I would have been too young to remember it. I think it was gone by the time I moved here, but either way, I'd like to see something big--and something fresh! Am I alone on that? What are your thoughts?

 

if you want a taste of the old wooden roller coaster that was there, go ride the Hurler at Carowinds. it is the old one from Lakeside. in fact, some of the cars still have Lakeside on the inside of the housings.


i dont think that it would be a profitable venture, at least at present time. gone are the days of having independently owned amusement parks, thanks to the litigation happy society that we are so accustomed to. it would have to be a large corporate venture, especially to cover the costs of insurance and such. as of now, Roanoke is a piss small community, but i think that in 10 years it is a viable venture.

in the last 25 years i can remember, roanoke has grown from having two ghetto malls (Towers and Tanglewood) to having a good selection of places to go. of course, when Valley View was being built (my old man worked on one of the electrician crews) there were quite a few people that were saying it would fail, there wasnt enough business in the Valley to support it. they were bad wrong.

the main problem is if there was to be a good amusement park in the valley, it would have to be on at least 30-50 acres. i would not see it being in roanoke per se, but it is viable to be in Botetourt or somewhere off 81. then it would have people coming from other areas too.


i hate having to drive 3-4 hours to get any roller coaster, and 12-18 to go to a good roller coaster

as for the higher crime with more tourism, they can go hand in hand, or they can be inversely proportional. all dependent on how everything is run.

 

You and I seem to be on the same page. I'm not so concerned about it necessarily being "in" Roanoke, per say... but on the outskirts in the general area would be a nice thing! I'd love to be a part of launching such a venture, or being the one to dream the dream, pitch the pitch, and watch it become a reality. Of course it likely never will, but as you said, it's plausible in the relatively near future. Wouldn't that be great to be behind something like that in some sort of way? I think so anyway. I love nothing more than to argue with someone about something failing, and be able to say "I told you so" in the long run.

Obviously I don't have the resources to make something like that happen, but I'd love to talk to someone who does and make them see what I see. It could be the next Kings Dominion, Kings Island, or Carowinds. It really could! It would be a huge investment of time and money, but it could be the opportunity of a lifetime. I don't think a good amusement and/or water park will ever be something that people lose interest in, personally. Keyword: good. It could be an opportunity to draw a large market of people who are like you and I both, who don't want to drive for hours and hours for a few coasters or rides. Then there's a whole different market of people that would be interested in it who travel anywhere just to ride new rides. You know?

 

I don't know much about economy or anything like that, but I would kill for a good wooden roller coaster anywhere near us. Wooden coasters are the only ones I ride. Metal coasters are just boring to me...

 

You thilly boy, I enjoy the wood too....

LOL! But seriously... wooden rollercoasters are fun because they're so harsh. I like both.

 

They are best in the rain. We rode the Grizzly at King's Dominion many years ago when it was raining. They don't usually like to run them in the rain, but there was a roller coaster club there and we got in with them when they convinced them to run it. Like nothing else I have ever experienced...

 

A little better lubrication?

lmfao..

 

i was told four years ago by my former employer i would fail. and when i did, he may have a job for me. when someone tells me i cant do something, i do everything in my power to succeed, and then usually rub it in.

not often, but it gives me a nice warm and fuzzy feeling.



as for doing it, i forsee it being a multi million dollar venture. with a risky chance of ROI in a short time period. with the market like it is now, i do not see any investors jumping onto it. in a few years, maybe.

 

I have vague memories of the lakeside. It was tore down when I was still very young so I am surprised that I can even remember it.

If memory serves me right, disney had an interest in building a theme park several years ago in the botetourt\bedford area but it never amounted to anything more than a rumor.

The Roanoke & Botetourt population has been growing fast in the past few years. So while you and I think it would be "cool" to have a local amusement park it would turn this area into a tourism spot which may not be appreciated by a lot of the locals. It would affect all of us in one way or another.

I think traffic is already getting bad. A few years ago I could make it to work in 10 minutes or less... now it takes me at least 20 because of all of the excess traffic in the area. If a park ever did reside in our area I would hate to deal with the traffic.

 

It wouldn't have to be smack dab in the middle of everything.... What if it were just far away enough to where it didn't cause a major change in traffic? I'm against all of the negative things that it could bring too, but I still think it could be a good thing for the economy. You know what I would find a way to do if someone did make this dream come true? I would absolutely find some way to build a hotel! That's one thing I've always wanted to do. Hotels are amazing to me. When there's a Nascar race, for instance, every hotel within 75+ miles is absolutely booked to the brim! Is it because they're advertising? Hell no! That's the beauty of it. They don't have to do anything other than keep the doors open, and people come to them because it's a service that people need. There are also lots of other things that keep hotels full. If we somehow landed a big amusement park like Kings Dominion, I'd be the first motherfucker to open a nice hotel right next to it. That's something that I know I could make happen.