A little over a week ago, it was revealed that Cedar Fair, the current owners of California’s Great America in Santa Clara, California, have sold the property to Prologis Inc. in an attempt to help take care of some of the company’s debt. Shortly after, the mayor of Santa Clara, Lisa M. Gilmor made a statement regarding the sale of the park’s land and the effect it will have on the people and community surrounding it.
What’s Happening:
- Recently, Cedar Fair sold the land that is the current home of California’s Great America to a San Francisco based real estate developer, Prologis, for $310 million dollars which will lead to the eventual closure of the park in (at most) 11 years.
- The news came as a shock to theme park fans around the globe, but more so to residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, past and present, who likely visited the park numerous times throughout their lives. The news also surprised the city of Santa Clara, prompting a statement from the Santa Clara Mayor, Lisa M. Gilmor.
- In the video above, Gilmor responds to the news sharing the impact that this sale will have on the surrounding communities and their residents from both a cultural and economic standpoint. While Gilmor doesn’t comment on long-term economic effects as future plans for the site are as yet unknown, she does comment that the park has meant a lot to millions of people across multiple generations, and that the park is currently the number one employer of the area’s youth, mentioning that her first job was at the park when it was Marriott’s Great America.
- With the leasing deal that came about as part of the sale, California’s Great America can be open as long as 11 additional years but can close at any time before them by parent company Cedar Point, or with two years notice by Prologis. Gilmor says she intends to ensure that Great America will remain open as long as possible in the long term, calling the park a “beloved community asset” and the idea of the park closing a “devastating loss to the city of Santa Clara and the Bay Area” with the park having been “embedded into the fabric of Santa Clara since 1976.”
- Gilmor goes on to invite Prologis Inc. to a series of community meetings to share their plans for the site to share with the people of the city and surrounding areas.
- Gilmor also says that whatever direction the company plans to go with the site, the plans will be subject to a community process and approval by the city of Santa Clara, revealing the site is currently zoned only for use as a theme park.
- California’s Great America opened in the city back in 1976, then owned by Marriott and known as Marriott’s Great America. In 1985, the site (after a bit of legal snafus between Marriott, Caz Development Co, and the City) became owned by the city (And called simply “Great America”) who hired King’s Entertainment to manage the park. In 1989, the park was sold to King’s Entertainment outright. In 1992, Paramount bought King’s Entertainment hoping to get into the theme park business, and Great America became Paramount’s Great America. By 2006, CBS/Viacom (who now owned Paramount) wanted out of the park business and sold their parks, including Paramount’s Great America, to Cedar Fair, who, with the sale of the park land now in 2022, will likely be the final owners of the park before it closes permanently sometime in the next 11 years.
What They’re Saying:
- Santa Clara Mayor Lisa M. Gilmor: “I'm reaching out regarding [the Monday, June 27th] surprise announcement that Cedar Fair sold California’s Great America to Prologis, Inc. I want to clarify that the City found out yesterday when everyone else did.
Following the announcement, I've received multiple interview requests and questions from the community to find out more. All we know at this point is what Cedar Fair released in their statement.
On the surface, it appears California's Great America will not change in the short term. My hope and goal is to keep California's Great America there as long as possible in the long term.
Great America is a beloved community asset and is the largest employer of our youth. It's a devastating loss for the City of Santa Clara and the Bay Area. Great America has been embedded into the fabric of Santa Clara since 1976 and has impacted millions and millions of visitors throughout the Bay Area and the world.
Many of us have grown up in Great America, and our children have enjoyed the park for decades. In fact my first job in high school was at Marriott's Great America.
The City does not know of any current or future plans on how the Great America property will be used by the new property owner, so we cannot comment on the economic impacts or benefits. Therefore I would like to extend an invitation to Prologis, Inc. to a series of community meetings so they can share their vision for the Great America property with our Santa Clara residents.
Whatever direction is revealed, a community process will be involved and subject to approval by the Santa Clara City Council, as California's Great America property is currently zoned for use as a theme park.
As the City learns more we will keep you informed every step of the way.