Cedar Fair: 49ers Can Buy Great America's Lease
Stadium & Great America Can't Coexist, Company Says
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Ohio company that owns the Great America Amusement Park in Santa Clara said in a statement released Wednesday that it would be willing to sell the remainder of its lease to the San Francisco 49ers.
"When Cedar Fair concluded that an amusement park and the stadium as proposed could not successfully coexist, Cedar Fair offered the city of Santa Clara and the 49ers the option of redeveloping the entire parcel," the company said in a statement.
Carmen Policy Talks 49ers
In the statement, Cedar Fair declared it is willing to sell the remainder of the company's lease on the land, if the citizens of Santa Clara indicate they want the land used for a stadium and not an amusement park.
"The next step will be for the citizens and the City of Santa Clara to decide: should the Great America site be used for a new 49ers’ stadium or should the park continue to operate? If the City and its citizens believe that the best use of this property is for a new stadium, then Cedar Fair is willing to consider selling the remainder of its lease and all of its interest and assets to the City or 49ers for fair market value," the company said in a statement.
The land on which Great America and the parking lot is located is owned by Santa Clara but is leased to Cedar Fair through 2039.
When the 49ers first learned of Cedar fair's opposition team officials told NBC11 they suspected the company wanted to sell its lease of the land and possibly the park itself.
"This is all a negotiating strategy to eventually get whatever it is they want, said 49er spokeswoman Lisa Lang. "There's been some rumors that ultimately what they want to do is sell the park and if that's what it takes to get the project done then we would consider that."
"It's not our first choice," Lang said. "We're a football team. We like to win football games, but if what we need to do to move the project forward is entertain the notion of aquiring Great America at a reasonable price and integrating it into the entertainment district then it's something we would consider doing."
Lang said the assessed value of the Great America Amusement Park is $114 Million.
Santa Clara County Tax Assessor Larry Stone told NBC11’s Daniel Garza Wednesday afternoon that Cedar Fair has an appeal on file with his office.
The company is asking that the amusement park be assessed at half its current value.
That could affect the asking price.
In the same statement, the company said it officially opposed a 49er stadium in the fashion that it is currently proposed.
The company said that after a series of meetings involving the company, the team and the city of Santa Clara as well as a careful review of the 49ers proposal, "Cedar Fair believes that the traffic, parking and other operational problems that would be created by putting the stadium in the middle of Great America’s main parking area are insurmountable and would place the continued operation of the park at risk."
The company listed three main reasons for their opposition: unacceptable parking limitations for Great America visitors, increased congestion for Great America visitors, and irreconcilable limits on Great America improvement plans.
Cedar Fair said information given to the company by the 49ers about parking, usage dates and traffic flow also helped the company decide to oppose the stadium.
In one portion of the statement the company called the stadium a "threat" to Great America.
"Great America has been a favorite family destination for generations of visitors who enjoy clean, affordable, accessible entertainment. Cedar Fair is committed to maximizing the experience of our guests at Great America; the 49ers stadium as proposed is a threat to that commitment," the company said in the statement.
Stadium & Great America Can't Coexist, Company Says
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Ohio company that owns the Great America Amusement Park in Santa Clara said in a statement released Wednesday that it would be willing to sell the remainder of its lease to the San Francisco 49ers.
"When Cedar Fair concluded that an amusement park and the stadium as proposed could not successfully coexist, Cedar Fair offered the city of Santa Clara and the 49ers the option of redeveloping the entire parcel," the company said in a statement.
Carmen Policy Talks 49ers
In the statement, Cedar Fair declared it is willing to sell the remainder of the company's lease on the land, if the citizens of Santa Clara indicate they want the land used for a stadium and not an amusement park.
"The next step will be for the citizens and the City of Santa Clara to decide: should the Great America site be used for a new 49ers’ stadium or should the park continue to operate? If the City and its citizens believe that the best use of this property is for a new stadium, then Cedar Fair is willing to consider selling the remainder of its lease and all of its interest and assets to the City or 49ers for fair market value," the company said in a statement.
The land on which Great America and the parking lot is located is owned by Santa Clara but is leased to Cedar Fair through 2039.
When the 49ers first learned of Cedar fair's opposition team officials told NBC11 they suspected the company wanted to sell its lease of the land and possibly the park itself.
"This is all a negotiating strategy to eventually get whatever it is they want, said 49er spokeswoman Lisa Lang. "There's been some rumors that ultimately what they want to do is sell the park and if that's what it takes to get the project done then we would consider that."
"It's not our first choice," Lang said. "We're a football team. We like to win football games, but if what we need to do to move the project forward is entertain the notion of aquiring Great America at a reasonable price and integrating it into the entertainment district then it's something we would consider doing."
Lang said the assessed value of the Great America Amusement Park is $114 Million.
Santa Clara County Tax Assessor Larry Stone told NBC11’s Daniel Garza Wednesday afternoon that Cedar Fair has an appeal on file with his office.
The company is asking that the amusement park be assessed at half its current value.
That could affect the asking price.
In the same statement, the company said it officially opposed a 49er stadium in the fashion that it is currently proposed.
The company said that after a series of meetings involving the company, the team and the city of Santa Clara as well as a careful review of the 49ers proposal, "Cedar Fair believes that the traffic, parking and other operational problems that would be created by putting the stadium in the middle of Great America’s main parking area are insurmountable and would place the continued operation of the park at risk."
The company listed three main reasons for their opposition: unacceptable parking limitations for Great America visitors, increased congestion for Great America visitors, and irreconcilable limits on Great America improvement plans.
Cedar Fair said information given to the company by the 49ers about parking, usage dates and traffic flow also helped the company decide to oppose the stadium.
In one portion of the statement the company called the stadium a "threat" to Great America.
"Great America has been a favorite family destination for generations of visitors who enjoy clean, affordable, accessible entertainment. Cedar Fair is committed to maximizing the experience of our guests at Great America; the 49ers stadium as proposed is a threat to that commitment," the company said in the statement.
