By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Niagara Falls, New York and Houston, Texas are the final two cities for a proposed indoor/outdoor Wizard of Oz Theme Park. Oz Central, a Kentucky based company, says it removed Atlanta from the list and remains captivated with the Falls region.
On a bitter cold morning a team of four gathered at a hotel in Niagara Falls to gear up for meetings with USA Niagara, Empire State Development and other local leaders. For several months we have reported on this proposed theme park. Now the company says it is down to the wire on a final site location.
President Richard Burch says they are doing everything they can to convince local leaders they are serious about building a "world class" destination theme park, but are not receiving a great deal of cooperation.
"We would like to get the feeling that Niagara Falls wants this project. That is what we are looking for," Burch said. "We really wanted to make final determinations by year end. We have not, we are still holding off. We are looking for a sign. Show us a sign."
Oz Central is asking for $56,000 to help conduct an independent feasibility study and proposed "STAR Bond" legislation to help finance the project. Local and state leaders have asked for a business plan. The concept is to build the park on 250-acres of land in the Niagara region.
Burch says this would give those millions of tourists who visit the Falls a reason to stay on the American side providing a big economic boost. Three sites have been reviewed. One was the former Nabisco factory. Burch would not disclose the other two sites.
"We still need feasibility information that has not been provided," Burch said. "We still need to determine a site and we still need Star Bond legislation."
Burch says the so-called Star Bond would help finance the project. He says it would also offer a "significant" benefit to the state.
"In Kansas, where Star Bond originated, one of the poorest counties has now become one of the wealthiest counties in the state," Burch explained. "They have a NASCAR race track. They have a million square foot Nebraska furniture warehouse, all the result of a Star Bond."
Burch says Houston has already offered a thousand acres of land and tax abatement for the park. But they are still seeking the bond legislation.
And although, Niagara Falls, Ontario is not on the list, Burch says Canadian officials have already reached out to him. But Burch says he would prefer to keep this an "American" project. However, he says it's tempting considering the local response which he describes as "significant skepticism."
Oz Central has not set a date for making a final site selection.