Theme_Park_Insider
10-24-2009, 04:30 PM
By Robert Niles: This week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Merlin Entertainment representatives have chatted up Illinois officials (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/4FEA78A26BF573698625765800047E7A?OpenDocument) about getting tax breaks to bring a Legoland theme park to Glen Carbon, a St. Louis suburb located east of the Mississippi, along I-270.
Previously, Merlin's looked at several sites in suburban Kansas City as well as at Columbia, Illinois, another St. Louis suburb.
Merlin executives announced in 2006 (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200601/21/) that the company would build another Legoland within 3-5 years. That window's closing fast, as no site's yet been secured for the new park. Clearly, Merlin has its eyes set on a building a seasonal park in suburban location somewhere in the Midwest. And they favor the I-70 corridor, as all potential sites mentioned to date have lied within a few minutes' drive from that highway. Merlin's blown through Kansas City and now is working St. Louis.
Hey, Indianapolis, get ready. ;-)
Update: There was a flurry of reports Friday about a Merlin IPO, based on this Financial Times report (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b234378-c01c-11de-aed2-00144feab49a.html). But it is old news - The Independent had that report (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200909/1384/) last month.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200910/1493/)
Previously, Merlin's looked at several sites in suburban Kansas City as well as at Columbia, Illinois, another St. Louis suburb.
Merlin executives announced in 2006 (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200601/21/) that the company would build another Legoland within 3-5 years. That window's closing fast, as no site's yet been secured for the new park. Clearly, Merlin has its eyes set on a building a seasonal park in suburban location somewhere in the Midwest. And they favor the I-70 corridor, as all potential sites mentioned to date have lied within a few minutes' drive from that highway. Merlin's blown through Kansas City and now is working St. Louis.
Hey, Indianapolis, get ready. ;-)
Update: There was a flurry of reports Friday about a Merlin IPO, based on this Financial Times report (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b234378-c01c-11de-aed2-00144feab49a.html). But it is old news - The Independent had that report (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200909/1384/) last month.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200910/1493/)