Ed Hart

Ed Hart to Discuss Kentucky Kingdom Plans Today on Byline

Joseph Lord — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:46:02 +0000

Ed Hart is back in the game.

Kentucky Kingdom moved closer to opening for the first time since 2009 on Thursday when the Kentucky State Fair Board approved a lease agreement a development group Hart leads. Hart's group now has 90 days from the signing of the lease to get financing in order.

If all goes well, officials are targeting 2014 for Kentucky Kingdom to re-open.

Kentucky Kingdom Lease Plan With Hart-Led Group Gets Approval; Re-Opening Targeted for 2014

Staff — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:30:16 +0000

The Kentucky State Fair Board voted today to approve a 50-year lease could lead to the spring 2014 re-opening of Kentucky Kingdom, the amusement park at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center that's been shuttered since 2009.

Details are below.

In 2012, the fair board issued a request for new proposals after the owners of Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., abandoned their plans to re-open the amusement park under the name Bluegrass Boardwalk.

Only one proposal was submitted — from a group led by Ed Hart, a former Kentucky Kingdom operator.

Kentucky Kingdom: A Timeline

Joseph Lord — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:02:18 +0000

1987: Kentucky Kingdom opens with out-of-state investors. The amusement park closed after a single season.

1990: Businessman Ed Hart reopens the amusement park. The size of Kentucky Kingdom is doubled, and new rides such as Thunder Run are added.

1997: Premier Parks purchases Kentucky Kingdom.

1998: The new ownership renames the amusement park Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.

2009: Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom's parent company closes the park amid bankruptcy proceedings.

Investor Group Makes $120 Million Kentucky Kingdom Bid Public

Devin Katayama — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:58:43 +0000

A group of four local investors led by businessman Ed Hart says it will invest $50 million without a state guarantee to reopen the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park.

Here is Ed Hart's Proposal to Re-Open Kentucky Kingdom

Gabe Bullard — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:55:39 +0000

Last week, businessman Ed Hart and his Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Company submitted his proposal to re-open Kentucky Kingdom—which he used to own. Today, he released the plan. Devin Katayama is covering the announcement and conducting interviews. In the meantime, the proposal and bullet points from the KKRC are below.

The state is seeking proposals to operate the former Six Flags. Hart previously attempted to re-open the park shortly after it closed, but the deal fell apart. As did a subsequent proposal from the family that owns the Holiday World park in Indiana.

Kingdom Gone: Can Kentucky Kingdom be Saved?

Brad Yost — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 12:26:21 +0000

The amusement park Kentucky Kingdom has been closed for three years now, representing a significant loss of jobs and tourism revenue. Attempts to revive the park have failed or been abandoned, and meanwhile the rides and equipment have largely been left to the elements and are not being maintained.

Hart Formally Submits Bid to Re-Open Kentucky Kingdom

Gabe Bullard — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:21:01 +0000

Louisville businessman Ed Hart has—again—formally entered a bid to re-open the Kentucky Kingdom theme park.

Hart and a group of investors have responded to the Kentucky Fair Board's request for proposals to re-open the park. The letter was delivered to Fair Board president Harold Workman today, and outlines a $40 million plan. Ten million of that would come from the group, and the rest would be borrowed but guaranteed by the state.

Ed Hart Shares New Proposal for Kentucky Kingdom

Laura Ellis — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 13:00:00 +0000

If you're heading to the Kentucky State Fair this weekend, you'll notice the gates of Kentucky Kingdom remain closed. Developer Ed Hart joined us Friday on Byline to talk about his newest proposal to re-open Kentucky Kingdom; it's a $40 million proposal with a team of supporters that reads like a who's who of the Louisville business scene.

Hart says re-opening Kentucky Kingdom would add $3 billion to Kentucky's economy.

Ed Hart: Fischer, Beshear Dropped Ball on Kentucky Kingdom

Phillip M. Bailey — Thu, 31 May 2012 21:01:37 +0000

Louisville businessman Ed Hart is dismayed at the delays in reopening Kentucky Kingdom, and he puts much of the blame on Mayor Greg Fischer and Governor Steve Beshear.

For the past few months, an investment group called Bluegrass Boardwalk Inc. has been trying to salvage the former amusement park. But officials confirmed this week that its planned reopening for next year is no longer an option because of serious disrepair. The group's investors now say the earliest the park can open is 2014.

Two years ago, Six Flags abandoned the site due to bankruptcy and the state fair board spent almost 18 months negotiating with Hart to reopen the park. But those talks failed for reasons that have not been released.

Hart says the mayor and governor need to take a greater role in getting one of the city’s chief tourist attractions running again instead of offering excuses.

"I can't read their minds. The mayor, the governor, his people, legislators—everybody says: ‘absolutely we want Kentucky Kingdom reopened.’ Yet they do nothing about it. It’s the typical, political and bureaucratic words and no deeds,” he says. "The fair board keeps saying that opening Kentucky Kingdom is a number one priority. They said it in 2010, 2011 and again in 2012. Can you imagine how long it would take to open up if it wasn't their number one priority? It's ludicrous."