New Operator For Kentucky Kingdom To Be Recommended

by Gabe BullardKentucky State Fair Board president Harold Workman is expected to recommend a new operator for the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park site tomorrow . The park was closed earlier this year by operator Six Flags, which is going through bankruptcy proceedings.Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau president Jim Wood says a new operator will probably modify the park, and that most likely means expanding the waterpark area. He says that will take time, and he doesn't expect the site to re-open this year."I don't think that would be a smart business move to begin with because any new operation is going to want to come in, assess what they need to do, make needed improvements," he says. "I don't think they want to open it up as-is, they want to open it up with their name and their brand on it."Wood says hotel room bookings have dropped by about 10 thousand this summer, due largely to the park's closure. Wood says a re-opening next year could attract an above-average crowd and make up for some of those losses.As Six Flags continues bankruptcy procedures, it's unclear whether the Fair Board or the park chain owns the rides on the site, or what will happen to the 15 acres of the park Six Flags owns.