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How y'all feeling, everybody?

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Sunny side of the street.

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Walk me through the full history
of Jazzland Six Flags.

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Sure.
Probably in the early '90s,

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Tom Winingder,
who is a longstanding developer

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here in New Orleans,
his wife's family,

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the Colemans,
they're very well-known

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in real estate circles
in New Orleans.

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Tom, the husband
of Dian Coleman Winingder,

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had a vision that one day
he would like to have built

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a theme park,

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'cause we did not have
a theme park in New Orleans.

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I could recall being out in
my front yard cutting the grass,

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and some guys came through
the trees with masks on

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and big machetes,
cutting down the trees,

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and I asked them
what were they doing,

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and they said
they were doing a survey,

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and I was like,
"A survey for what?"

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And they said,
"A survey for a theme park."

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The park at the time
was gonna be Jazzland.

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The city of New Orleans
had long been without

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any family entertainment.

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Jazzland was dreamt up
to solve that.

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A park designed to offer
an outstanding

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family experience appealing
to both young and old alike

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in an attractive, clean,
safe environment.

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The park itself would celebrate
the heritage, the culture,

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and the people of the city.

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The location was perfect,

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situated centrally
in New Orleans East,

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just a short drive
from the city,

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and placed just off the highway.

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The land, too, was ideal,
with good drainage,

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even during storms.

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In fact,
the Army Corps of Engineers

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found it to be
a dry piece of land.

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By 1991, the developers
had submitted the proposal

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to the city,

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and for over seven years
worked to get it built.

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With promising
over one million visitors

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in their first year,

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along with over $200 million
being added

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to the local economies,

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even the governor was on board
and offered the developers

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$10 million in state funds.

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Jazzland Resort was planned
to be like nothing

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the city had ever seen,

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with a planned hotel,
a water park,

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a campground,
and even a golf course.

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It made sense, too.

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This new resort would be located
at least 350 miles

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from any other major theme park.

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The park would be named after
the city's most iconic export,

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jazz.

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I'm a resident
of New Orleans East.

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You know, the neighbors
were overwhelmingly positive

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and excited about the prospect

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of something this vibrant

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and exciting
and attractive to the region

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would be right in our backyards.

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He partnered with a company
in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,

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as he was going through
the development process.

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Burroughs and Chapin.

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And they had interest
in this company.

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He also partnered
with Ogden Entertainment,

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who also had an interest
in New Orleans.

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Well, I went to work
for Broadmoor, 1998,

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and that was to go
and do that job

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at Jazzland.

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You know, obviously
it was a virgin site,

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some 150-something acres.

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This was the first time
we ever built a theme park,

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or a park that had rides on it
that people would

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actually get on
and participate in.

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So, that was unique.

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The biggest challenge,
once we got on site,

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was that the ground conditions

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were so poor that equipment
that we brought on site

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would break through
the crust at the top

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and sink down
three to four to six feet,

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in some locations.

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We have one picture of a backhoe

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that, you know, broke through

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doing the early
clearing of the land,

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and basically the only thing
you saw sticking out

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-was the bucket.
-In 1998,

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construction finally began.

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Phase one of the project
for the theme park itself

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was finished in just two years.

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Jazzland officially opened

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on May 20th, 2000,

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at the cost
of over $130 million.

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The park's original operator,
Ogden Entertainment,

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ended up dropping out
of the project,

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and a new company by the name
of Alfa Smartparks

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had taken over.

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Ready?
Five, four, three, two, one!

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Come on, everybody, sing it.

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Let's go ahead
and get this ribbon cut

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so people can start having fun,
get some pictures.

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Countdown, five, four,
three, two, one, ready?

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-Yeah.
-Five, four, three,

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two, one, woo!

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All right, ladies and gentlemen,
Jazzland is officially open!

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Let's have some fun!

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-Did you like it?
-I loved it.

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Was it a good ride?
Tell me yes.

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-It was terrific.
-Oh, it's better than the beach

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-ever was.
-It was better than sex.

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Spend the day
at Jazzland theme park,

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where the fun is at full blast!

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I gotta do that again!

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Jazzland in New Orleans
on I-10 at the I-510 exit

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is filled with thrills
for the whole family.

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-Serious rides.
-30 incredible rides

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-and spectacular entertainment!
-This is great.

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Come for the thrills,
stay for the fun at Jazzland,

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open daily at 10:00 A.M.

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You know, my first memories was
I remember the excitement

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of the park opening,

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and how much people
were anticipating its opening.

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You know, it was just
something so new

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and different from
any other asset in New Orleans

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that we've had--ever had,

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since, um, probably
it was 30 years prior to that,

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Pontchartrain Beach
was an amusement park.

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And then, there were kids
that didn't have to travel

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to Biloxi or to Houston,
or other areas,

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and they could literally
be a member

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and go as many times
as they'd like

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with season passes
and things of that sort.

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So, there was just
a lot of excitement about,

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you know, how much
you wanted to partake of it.

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You had that option,
and it was so convenient.

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And, um, I think
that people were,

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you know,
they were excited about it.

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And you know,
it was not perfect,

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but it was very, very much
a huge positive

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for the entire community.

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Whenever visitors
would come in and visit,

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you know, we'd always
take 'em one day at least,

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-you go to Jazzland.
-You know, I will tell you,

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I live near the area,

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so I had
a longstanding knowledge

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of, well, this park,
probably going back

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seven years before
it was even built.

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I can remember
before I worked there

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in that first season
before I became an employee,

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I did have a season pass,
and it was very nice

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to go there just for a few hours
on the evenings

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as the sun was
beginning to descend,

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you know, to catch a ride
or maybe get

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a light meal out there.

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It was a great escape from
the normal hustle and bustle

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of the work that I was doing
in corporate advertising

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at that time.

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Um, I do not know if--

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I don't remember
if it was the first year.

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My son and I went out there,
just the two of us,

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before we started bringing
our groups of employees.

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Um...

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it was kind of
a love at first sight.

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Jazzland was already
being publicized

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as America's newest
major theme park,

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and in many respects, it was.

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The park had several
themed sections,

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all originating from
a central main street

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made to look like
the famous French Quarter.

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Circling around
a main lake in the middle

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would be Cajun Country,
Mardi Gras,

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Kids Carnival, and most popular

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a land themed off
a vintage amusement park

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in New Orleans,
Pontchartrain Beach.

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These lands were comprised
of many different flat rides,

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flume rides, a simulator,

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two launch towers,
an eye-catching sky coaster,

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and four roller coasters.

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The main attraction, though,
was undoubtedly the Mega Zeph,

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a wooden coaster
built on a steel frame,

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one which was
inspired by the Zephyr

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from New Orleans's very own
Pontchartrain Beach.

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Of course, the Mega Zeph
was the signature wooden coaster

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that we had at the facility.

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I believe, if memory serves,
it was 110 feet tall

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at the peak of the ride,
and it was just--

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it was a great experience.

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I think everybody reacted
very positively.

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First of all,
they couldn't believe

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that we had
an amusement park out there.

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I think families
were thrilled with it,

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and, as I said,
the size of the park was great.

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Kids could play,
you could walk around,

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you--it wasn't a big Disney

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that you were worn out
at the end of the day.

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It was, um--I think it was
very well-received

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by the community,

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and especially by families.

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If a guest did not necessarily
go looking for the stories

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in the newspaper
or on television or radio,

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that the park was in bankruptcy,

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they probably would not have
necessarily known that we were.

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After the second year,

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and really beginning
in the 2002 season,

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Jazzland did indeed have
some financial troubles

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and it declared bankruptcy

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at the end of that season.

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In the industry, they call
year two "sophomore slump,"

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and I definitely feel
we had a hit in attendance.

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Certainly it was felt.

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Jazzland received
more than a million visitors

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during its first season open.

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By their second season, however,

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attendance had dropped
over 40 percent

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to just 600,000 people.

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This dip in attendance
had taken place

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while all other
regional theme parks

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seemed to have grown.

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Subsequently, the park didn't
have the attendance numbers

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to offset their expenses

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and pay off
the construction debt.

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Jazzland claimed they had less
than just $50 million in assets

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and between $50 million
to $100 million in debt.

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We promised folks
in year number two

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that we were gonna build
this great new coaster.

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Guess what happened?

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We didn't build it.

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The first challenge was

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centered around the fact
that the New Orleans park

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was the largest park
in the system.

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Alfa Smartparks
was a brand-new company.

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The parent company
was in Athens, Greece.

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They were a shipping company,

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and everyone else, you know,
that was affiliated

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in the company, again,
the other "kids" in the company

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were either
family entertainment centers

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or water parks, that was it.

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So, we were required to produce

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the largest share of revenue
for the company.

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In year number two,
we did not produce

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a large share, or certainly not
the share that was requested,

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or required per our 2001 budget,

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and things, of course,
began to unravel.

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Alfa Smartparks
had been going through

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their own
financial difficulties,

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and had been looking
to put the Jazzland park

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and their land lease
up for sale.

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After only two years,
Alfa Smartparks

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had abandoned
their brand-new theme park.

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Larry was a former president
of Six Flags,

252
00:15:10,176 --> 00:15:13,444
and Larry was
an "interim executive" with us,

253
00:15:13,479 --> 00:15:16,414
and, you know, through Larry
we opened some doors

254
00:15:16,449 --> 00:15:18,482
back into the Six Flags family,

255
00:15:18,517 --> 00:15:21,352
and there was interest
in this park.

256
00:15:21,387 --> 00:15:23,187
I think they saw that this park

257
00:15:23,222 --> 00:15:25,389
was literally
only three years old

258
00:15:25,424 --> 00:15:27,391
as a physical facility--
it was a brand-new park,

259
00:15:27,426 --> 00:15:29,193
and it was in
great physical condition,

260
00:15:29,228 --> 00:15:30,528
all the rides were new.

261
00:15:30,563 --> 00:15:33,364
They had a great team in place,
and there was interest

262
00:15:33,399 --> 00:15:35,533
by Six Flags.

263
00:15:35,568 --> 00:15:37,335
We were excited.

264
00:15:37,370 --> 00:15:40,204
The excitement started
before the park

265
00:15:40,239 --> 00:15:43,307
was even really officially
going to be renamed

266
00:15:43,342 --> 00:15:45,376
Six Flags New Orleans.

267
00:15:45,411 --> 00:15:49,180
In the 2002 season,
containers started showing up

268
00:15:49,215 --> 00:15:51,382
of roller coaster tracks,
so everyone had

269
00:15:51,417 --> 00:15:54,151
the high expectations
that Six Flags

270
00:15:54,186 --> 00:15:57,989
is seriously going to invest
money into this park,

271
00:15:58,024 --> 00:16:00,658
and it's gonna mean good things.

272
00:16:00,693 --> 00:16:03,995
You know, it means that
we finally have an investor

273
00:16:04,030 --> 00:16:06,664
that really is serious

274
00:16:06,699 --> 00:16:09,533
and wants to invest in the park

275
00:16:09,568 --> 00:16:11,268
and grow the park.

276
00:16:11,303 --> 00:16:14,305
We rebranded, we remarketed.

277
00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:17,341
We built an entire theme section
based around DC Comics.

278
00:16:17,376 --> 00:16:18,743
We redid our kids' section,

279
00:16:18,778 --> 00:16:21,379
it was
a Looney Tunes-theme section.

280
00:16:21,414 --> 00:16:23,781
Of course,
we opened that spring

281
00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:26,017
in March of that year, 2003,

282
00:16:26,052 --> 00:16:28,185
to great fanfare,
and we actually had

283
00:16:28,220 --> 00:16:31,288
a really wonderful 2003 season.

284
00:16:31,323 --> 00:16:33,424
As you can see, we have
a lot to look forward to

285
00:16:33,459 --> 00:16:35,292
at Six Flags New Orleans.

286
00:16:35,327 --> 00:16:38,262
Again, welcome to
Six Flags New Orleans.

287
00:16:38,297 --> 00:16:40,197
The park is now open!

288
00:16:46,305 --> 00:16:48,806
Six Flags invites you
to experience

289
00:16:48,841 --> 00:16:51,709
our newest
world-class theme park:

290
00:16:51,744 --> 00:16:55,046
Six Flags New Orleans,

291
00:16:55,081 --> 00:16:57,648
where 14 new attractions include

292
00:16:57,683 --> 00:17:00,451
2 incredible coasters,

293
00:17:00,486 --> 00:17:02,453
Batman the Ride,

294
00:17:02,488 --> 00:17:04,588
and The Jester.

295
00:17:13,466 --> 00:17:16,700
In August of 2002, Six Flags
had officially completed

296
00:17:16,735 --> 00:17:18,736
their acquisition of Jazzland,

297
00:17:18,771 --> 00:17:21,472
rebranding it into
Six Flags New Orleans

298
00:17:21,507 --> 00:17:23,240
for the 2003 season.

299
00:17:23,275 --> 00:17:24,708
The company had committed,

300
00:17:24,743 --> 00:17:27,678
spending over $20 million
on their new park,

301
00:17:27,713 --> 00:17:30,614
and resolving the standing debt
from the last owner.

302
00:17:30,649 --> 00:17:31,849
In addition
to minor improvements,

303
00:17:31,884 --> 00:17:33,551
like shade structures,

304
00:17:33,586 --> 00:17:35,453
Six Flags had spent
serious money

305
00:17:35,488 --> 00:17:37,488
on theming the individual lands,

306
00:17:37,523 --> 00:17:40,391
adding new attractions,
including two new coasters,

307
00:17:40,426 --> 00:17:43,461
and bringing in intellectual
property characters.

308
00:17:43,496 --> 00:17:45,429
My family,
we had great experiences there.

309
00:17:45,464 --> 00:17:47,598
I mean, I remember
the roller coasters,

310
00:17:47,633 --> 00:17:49,600
and they had
a lot of good shows there.

311
00:17:49,635 --> 00:17:53,437
The park integrated
the community with it,

312
00:17:53,472 --> 00:17:55,739
high schools
or elementary schools,

313
00:17:55,774 --> 00:17:57,875
and people were doing
different types of things,

314
00:17:57,910 --> 00:18:01,645
that Grandma had to go
see grandson perform

315
00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,449
or what have you,
at Jazzland, or at Six Flags.

316
00:18:05,484 --> 00:18:07,384
My daughters
were in a dance team

317
00:18:07,419 --> 00:18:08,786
that performed at the park,

318
00:18:08,821 --> 00:18:11,555
and then I think the last thing
is jobs that it created.

319
00:18:11,590 --> 00:18:13,591
A lot of kids had jobs there.

320
00:18:13,626 --> 00:18:15,359
You know, they would
work there for the summer,

321
00:18:15,394 --> 00:18:16,794
or work there
for a certain duration

322
00:18:16,829 --> 00:18:18,796
where, you know,
they could be part of it,

323
00:18:18,831 --> 00:18:21,532
and kids who worked there
were big shots, you know.

324
00:18:23,669 --> 00:18:25,903
Oh, I loved it.

325
00:18:25,938 --> 00:18:28,873
That was my favorite job
I've ever had.

326
00:18:28,908 --> 00:18:32,409
I felt like I could connect
with everybody who's coming on.

327
00:18:32,444 --> 00:18:34,311
I had something to say,
I could make

328
00:18:34,346 --> 00:18:36,814
some sort of comment
about their day,

329
00:18:36,849 --> 00:18:38,849
or ask them a question.

330
00:18:38,884 --> 00:18:41,819
We did have a, um,

331
00:18:41,854 --> 00:18:44,822
a little Six Flags chant
that we did in the mornings

332
00:18:44,857 --> 00:18:48,926
as operations people that--
to get people pumped up,

333
00:18:48,961 --> 00:18:51,562
um, which I may still know.

334
00:18:53,465 --> 00:18:55,933
I would say I was there
almost every other week,

335
00:18:55,968 --> 00:18:59,403
I mean, as often I could.

336
00:18:59,438 --> 00:19:03,440
We all crammed in
to the very tiny arcade,

337
00:19:03,475 --> 00:19:04,942
because I think
they had a dance game

338
00:19:04,977 --> 00:19:06,710
out there at the time,

339
00:19:06,745 --> 00:19:09,947
and everybody
wanted to get in there.

340
00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:14,451
The main arcade was
more like a penny arcade.

341
00:19:14,486 --> 00:19:16,720
Throw bottles, win prizes,

342
00:19:16,755 --> 00:19:18,556
win stuffed animals.

343
00:19:18,591 --> 00:19:22,459
So, one time, everybody had
to get these big gorillas,

344
00:19:22,494 --> 00:19:23,727
so they all played.

345
00:19:23,762 --> 00:19:25,596
We must've--
instead of riding the rides,

346
00:19:25,631 --> 00:19:28,732
we were playing the crazy games
to win these big snakes

347
00:19:28,767 --> 00:19:31,635
and big gorillas,
big, colorful gorillas.

348
00:19:31,670 --> 00:19:33,871
I posted a picture
not too long ago

349
00:19:33,906 --> 00:19:37,474
of some of the kids
with the gorillas on Facebook,

350
00:19:37,509 --> 00:19:39,610
and they all went crazy.
"I remember that,

351
00:19:39,645 --> 00:19:41,212
I remember that,
that was one of the best--

352
00:19:41,247 --> 00:19:43,547
Oh, man,
then we had so much fun."

353
00:19:43,582 --> 00:19:45,983
They loved it,
they just had so much fun.

354
00:19:46,018 --> 00:19:49,954
I hope that one day I can be
an old man and retire,

355
00:19:49,989 --> 00:19:52,790
and work at a theme park,
and be exactly like

356
00:19:52,825 --> 00:19:56,527
Mr. Six, like,
running the roller coasters.

357
00:19:56,562 --> 00:19:58,696
That is really
my ultimate dream.

358
00:19:58,731 --> 00:20:01,865
You'd go, and I mean,
there would be so many people

359
00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:04,902
on--during certain events
and certain weekends.

360
00:20:04,937 --> 00:20:08,439
I mean, I'm told
upwards of 30,000 people,

361
00:20:08,474 --> 00:20:11,775
which, for a park that size,
is pretty impressive.

362
00:20:11,810 --> 00:20:13,911
People who knew the park
absolutely loved it.

363
00:20:13,946 --> 00:20:16,580
I mean, if you had
the experience of going,

364
00:20:16,615 --> 00:20:18,649
you know, especially
if you went from the beginning,

365
00:20:18,684 --> 00:20:20,484
people liked that park.

366
00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:22,019
There was one time that

367
00:20:22,054 --> 00:20:25,456
I was working
at the Skycoaster,

368
00:20:25,491 --> 00:20:28,959
and there was a paraplegic woman

369
00:20:28,994 --> 00:20:32,663
who wanted to ride
in a wheelchair,

370
00:20:32,698 --> 00:20:34,465
and, um,

371
00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:37,568
the decision was left to me

372
00:20:37,603 --> 00:20:40,638
on if this person
should ride or not.

373
00:20:40,673 --> 00:20:42,006
And I'm like, "Okay,
I'm making the decision,

374
00:20:42,041 --> 00:20:44,675
she's riding."

375
00:20:44,710 --> 00:20:48,712
And it took a really long time
to get her situated

376
00:20:48,747 --> 00:20:50,014
and ready to ride,

377
00:20:50,049 --> 00:20:55,552
and by this time,
there is a really large line

378
00:20:55,587 --> 00:20:58,756
just snaking through
the whole attraction,

379
00:20:58,791 --> 00:21:01,859
and everyone is seeing
what's going on.

380
00:21:01,894 --> 00:21:04,695
And so, we hoist her up.

381
00:21:04,730 --> 00:21:07,631
We, uh, raise her up to the top,

382
00:21:07,666 --> 00:21:10,868
and she pulls her ripcord.

383
00:21:10,903 --> 00:21:13,504
The ride's successful
and everyone's applauding

384
00:21:13,539 --> 00:21:14,972
and cheering.

385
00:21:15,007 --> 00:21:17,041
And it made me so happy that--

386
00:21:17,076 --> 00:21:20,577
um, that I could

387
00:21:20,612 --> 00:21:23,614
give that to somebody.

388
00:21:23,649 --> 00:21:25,816
That I could give somebody

389
00:21:25,851 --> 00:21:28,786
that excitement and fun

390
00:21:28,821 --> 00:21:32,690
that was probably unexpected

391
00:21:32,725 --> 00:21:35,326
to her when she started her day.

392
00:21:35,361 --> 00:21:37,761
We're not here
to save the world,

393
00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:40,864
but we are here
to help people get through

394
00:21:40,899 --> 00:21:43,334
what might be
a difficult time in their lives,

395
00:21:43,369 --> 00:21:44,802
or a mundane lifestyle.

396
00:21:44,837 --> 00:21:46,737
We are that respite for them

397
00:21:46,772 --> 00:21:50,007
where they can go and get
an escape for a few hours,

398
00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:51,575
take their minds
off of their burdens,

399
00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:53,010
take their minds
off their problems,

400
00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:54,878
and have a good time
for a few hours.

401
00:21:54,913 --> 00:21:57,514
The water ride
was always the last one,

402
00:21:57,549 --> 00:22:00,718
and they had to go dry off
before they could get in my car,

403
00:22:00,753 --> 00:22:02,720
'cause I wouldn't let 'em
ride home with me

404
00:22:02,755 --> 00:22:05,689
-unless they were dry.
-It was actually announced

405
00:22:05,724 --> 00:22:09,026
that summer that
at the end of the 2005 season

406
00:22:09,061 --> 00:22:12,896
that we were going to build
the much-requested

407
00:22:12,931 --> 00:22:15,032
and certainly
the much-desired water park.

408
00:22:15,067 --> 00:22:16,667
The plans were drawn.

409
00:22:16,702 --> 00:22:18,135
We knew where it was going.

410
00:22:18,170 --> 00:22:21,772
We knew that
during the break in 2005,

411
00:22:21,807 --> 00:22:24,375
we were going to be
constructing the water park.

412
00:22:24,410 --> 00:22:26,777
I remember on my way
out of the park,

413
00:22:26,812 --> 00:22:30,581
like, my very last time
I was ever there,

414
00:22:30,616 --> 00:22:33,784
and, um, I made a joke.

415
00:22:33,819 --> 00:22:37,054
Said that, "I'll be back soon,

416
00:22:37,089 --> 00:22:39,656
unless the hurricane comes
and destroys everything."

417
00:22:45,731 --> 00:22:48,665
This morning I spoke with
FEMA Undersecretary Mike Brown

418
00:22:48,700 --> 00:22:51,635
and emergency management teams
not only at the federal level

419
00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:54,838
but at the state level

420
00:22:54,873 --> 00:22:58,409
about the, uh,
Hurricane Katrina.

421
00:22:58,444 --> 00:23:00,677
We will do
everything in our power

422
00:23:00,712 --> 00:23:01,945
to help the people
and the communities

423
00:23:01,980 --> 00:23:05,115
affected by this storm.

424
00:23:05,150 --> 00:23:06,950
Hurricane Katrina
is now designated

425
00:23:06,985 --> 00:23:09,653
a Category 5 hurricane.

426
00:23:09,688 --> 00:23:11,822
I think we all kinda had
this notion that

427
00:23:11,857 --> 00:23:14,191
this hurricane that was
brewing in the Gulf

428
00:23:14,226 --> 00:23:17,628
was, um--was not
gonna be that bad,

429
00:23:17,663 --> 00:23:18,829
or it might skirt past us.

430
00:23:18,864 --> 00:23:19,963
You know,
it was business as usual

431
00:23:19,998 --> 00:23:21,965
for the week
leading up to the park.

432
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,067
You look at it on the news
and it's coming.

433
00:23:24,102 --> 00:23:26,603
They say, "Oh,
well, it's going to Florida."

434
00:23:26,638 --> 00:23:29,640
And they said, "Well, it's
really going to the Panhandle."

435
00:23:29,675 --> 00:23:32,443
"Oh no,
now it's going to Alabama."

436
00:23:32,478 --> 00:23:33,944
"Now it's going to Mississippi."

437
00:23:33,979 --> 00:23:36,847
And then, all of a sudden,
overnight,

438
00:23:36,882 --> 00:23:39,016
I think it was
that Sunday morning,

439
00:23:39,051 --> 00:23:41,752
the path had
significantly shifted,

440
00:23:41,787 --> 00:23:43,687
and the storm was a Category 5,

441
00:23:43,722 --> 00:23:46,190
and it was a feeling of, like,

442
00:23:46,225 --> 00:23:49,627
pure terror, like,
"Oh, my gosh, we gotta go now."

443
00:23:51,697 --> 00:23:53,063
No, none of us
had any idea then,

444
00:23:53,098 --> 00:23:54,898
not just the park,
but, you know, the entire city

445
00:23:54,933 --> 00:23:57,234
of New Orleans,
and the entire Gulf Coast

446
00:23:57,269 --> 00:24:00,471
of, you know, New Orleans,
Louisiana, Mississippi,

447
00:24:00,506 --> 00:24:02,172
Alabama, to a certain extent,

448
00:24:02,207 --> 00:24:06,677
would've ever have experienced
what we ultimately experienced.

449
00:24:06,712 --> 00:24:08,979
When I left on that Friday,
that was the very last time

450
00:24:09,014 --> 00:24:11,949
that I came back
to an operating park.

451
00:25:00,198 --> 00:25:01,932
The vast majority
of New Orleans, Louisiana,

452
00:25:01,967 --> 00:25:03,534
is under water.

453
00:25:05,571 --> 00:25:08,005
Tens of thousands
of homes and businesses

454
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:09,840
are beyond repair.

455
00:25:11,977 --> 00:25:13,210
A lot of
the Mississippi Gulf Coast

456
00:25:13,245 --> 00:25:16,079
has been completely destroyed.

457
00:25:16,114 --> 00:25:19,816
We are dealing with one
of the worst natural disasters

458
00:25:19,851 --> 00:25:21,318
in our nation's history.

459
00:25:26,124 --> 00:25:29,026
On August 29th, 2005,

460
00:25:29,061 --> 00:25:31,028
Hurricane Katrina
hit New Orleans

461
00:25:31,063 --> 00:25:33,263
as a Category 3 storm,

462
00:25:33,298 --> 00:25:35,132
sparking the unimaginable.

463
00:25:37,135 --> 00:25:39,269
At around 5:00 A.M.,
the wall system

464
00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:41,738
built to keep
surging storm water out,

465
00:25:41,773 --> 00:25:43,840
called levees, broke,

466
00:25:43,875 --> 00:25:46,076
causing rising water
from the lake and the canals

467
00:25:46,111 --> 00:25:48,879
to flood around
80 percent of the city.

468
00:25:48,914 --> 00:25:51,148
New Orleans
was beyond devastated.

469
00:27:02,387 --> 00:27:06,256
It was--I mean, it was a lot,
'cause I was not only seeing

470
00:27:06,291 --> 00:27:08,125
images of the park flooding,

471
00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,194
but the neighborhood
that I live in,

472
00:27:11,229 --> 00:27:13,330
and, um, the--everywhere,

473
00:27:13,365 --> 00:27:16,366
like, my entire life
being flooded.

474
00:27:16,401 --> 00:27:18,335
You know, I, uh--I evacuated

475
00:27:18,370 --> 00:27:21,672
to some family--family property

476
00:27:21,707 --> 00:27:24,841
in, uh,
kinda more central Louisiana,

477
00:27:24,876 --> 00:27:28,345
and I was really surprised
at how bad, you know,

478
00:27:28,380 --> 00:27:30,347
after, you know,
the initial storm had passed,

479
00:27:30,382 --> 00:27:32,149
and then, of course,
there was the levee breach

480
00:27:32,184 --> 00:27:35,686
was the--really the nail
in the coffin for New Orleans.

481
00:27:35,721 --> 00:27:39,022
I was really surprised
at how bad things had gotten.

482
00:27:39,057 --> 00:27:42,125
I knew that we had been dealt
a really bad hit,

483
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,094
and you know,
certainly looking at

484
00:27:44,129 --> 00:27:47,197
what was on local networks,
national networks,

485
00:27:47,232 --> 00:27:49,199
radio stations, and so forth,

486
00:27:49,234 --> 00:27:52,069
and I think the more
that I was watching that,

487
00:27:52,104 --> 00:27:53,470
you know, the more disheartened,
the more depressed

488
00:27:53,505 --> 00:27:55,138
I was getting.

489
00:27:55,173 --> 00:27:58,175
My home, for example,
had six feet of water

490
00:27:58,210 --> 00:28:01,111
inside the house, and when
you have six feet of water

491
00:28:01,146 --> 00:28:06,083
that was the soupiest,
murkiest water possible,

492
00:28:06,118 --> 00:28:08,385
with every chemical
you could imagine in it,

493
00:28:08,420 --> 00:28:12,155
sitting in a home for,
you know, four to six weeks,

494
00:28:12,190 --> 00:28:14,024
what it did is it
devastated the homes,

495
00:28:14,059 --> 00:28:15,959
because you had wind damage,

496
00:28:15,994 --> 00:28:18,995
and then you had flood damage,

497
00:28:19,030 --> 00:28:22,899
and as a result of that,
the mold was tremendous,

498
00:28:22,934 --> 00:28:24,901
because after
the storm went past,

499
00:28:24,936 --> 00:28:27,904
the heat was very high,
so you have all of these homes

500
00:28:27,939 --> 00:28:30,507
that now are--no ventilation,
they're all tightly built,

501
00:28:30,542 --> 00:28:32,375
and now the mold
is all over the place.

502
00:28:32,410 --> 00:28:36,012
So, Hurricane Katrina just
devastated Eastern New Orleans.

503
00:28:36,047 --> 00:28:37,748
Just imagine a home.

504
00:28:37,783 --> 00:28:40,350
It was a mess, the smell.

505
00:28:40,385 --> 00:28:43,220
The other thing that was
onerous about it all

506
00:28:43,255 --> 00:28:45,388
was you could smell
death in the air.

507
00:28:55,133 --> 00:28:57,434
We have to go down Jacob,
I need to see my house.

508
00:29:19,424 --> 00:29:21,391
Hard to believe I lived in it.

509
00:29:24,296 --> 00:29:26,062
Oh, God.

510
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,100
This is the inside
of the garage,

511
00:29:30,135 --> 00:29:32,102
Eric's flag is still hanging up.

512
00:30:11,409 --> 00:30:13,376
Oh, my God.

513
00:30:26,324 --> 00:30:28,592
Look at all that stuff.

514
00:30:38,637 --> 00:30:41,171
Fell right in the middle
of their yard.

515
00:30:46,144 --> 00:30:48,211
See the holes in the roof
we had to punch out to get out?

516
00:30:48,246 --> 00:30:50,380
Can you imagine being
in the house and floating?

517
00:31:15,607 --> 00:31:18,541
Well, the park had a levee
running around it,

518
00:31:18,576 --> 00:31:21,177
but it was
basically a small levee

519
00:31:21,212 --> 00:31:23,313
just to keep the water
from the park

520
00:31:23,348 --> 00:31:25,515
going into
the surrounding areas,

521
00:31:25,550 --> 00:31:27,651
and that's why we had
our own pump station installed

522
00:31:27,686 --> 00:31:30,453
on the park, so we were
maintaining that water

523
00:31:30,488 --> 00:31:33,323
from going to other places,
going to other properties,

524
00:31:33,358 --> 00:31:36,559
like I said, but, you know,
to envision what happened,

525
00:31:36,594 --> 00:31:38,395
no, I don't think anybody
envisioned that

526
00:31:38,430 --> 00:31:41,331
that would happen
to not only Jazzland,

527
00:31:41,366 --> 00:31:42,499
but the city of New Orleans.

528
00:31:42,534 --> 00:31:45,402
Just the magnitude of that loss,

529
00:31:45,437 --> 00:31:48,238
and that--the damage
that was done.

530
00:33:05,316 --> 00:33:08,218
In every single
building here,

531
00:33:08,253 --> 00:33:11,654
you can see where
the water was standing

532
00:33:11,689 --> 00:33:14,491
in all of these buildings.

533
00:33:14,526 --> 00:33:19,429
All right, so we're walking into
the simulator bays now

534
00:33:19,464 --> 00:33:22,432
to the SpongeBob ride,

535
00:33:22,467 --> 00:33:25,301
and while some of it
has been gutted,

536
00:33:25,336 --> 00:33:28,772
here is one of the final...

537
00:33:33,845 --> 00:33:35,645
...simulator bays.

538
00:33:38,083 --> 00:33:40,650
This way.

539
00:33:45,490 --> 00:33:47,257
Oh my God.

540
00:33:58,803 --> 00:34:02,639
This bay still has
the screen in it.

541
00:34:02,674 --> 00:34:04,407
Whatever is left of it,
at least.

542
00:34:04,442 --> 00:34:06,576
Well, yeah.

543
00:34:06,611 --> 00:34:08,545
Wow.

544
00:34:18,456 --> 00:34:22,392
So, this over here is the
park administration building.

545
00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:31,501
Oh my God.

546
00:34:36,374 --> 00:34:38,275
-Oh my God, look at this.
-Yeah.

547
00:34:44,516 --> 00:34:46,282
Jazzland.

548
00:34:46,317 --> 00:34:47,784
Oh, jeez.

549
00:34:47,819 --> 00:34:49,819
You know what this was?

550
00:34:49,854 --> 00:34:52,789
This was the park's
audio system.

551
00:34:52,824 --> 00:34:55,558
-The thing playing music.
-Yeah, ambient music

552
00:34:55,593 --> 00:34:58,828
probably would've been
played through here.

553
00:34:58,863 --> 00:35:01,564
-Holy Christ.
-The equalizer tracks,

554
00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:02,732
it looks like
it had three of them.

555
00:35:02,767 --> 00:35:04,734
Look at where the water was.

556
00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:07,370
-The water line is right here.
-Yeah, each little line

557
00:35:07,405 --> 00:35:10,406
that you see going down is where
the water sat as it receded.

558
00:35:10,441 --> 00:35:13,143
-It's amazing.
-That is unbelievable.

559
00:35:13,178 --> 00:35:16,412
-"We're going live."
-"We're going live in '05!"

560
00:35:16,447 --> 00:35:19,849
Everything is
stuck in time here.

561
00:35:19,884 --> 00:35:22,585
"Suggestions sell...earn those."

562
00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:24,754
Holy--look at this.

563
00:35:27,425 --> 00:35:29,425
Oh my gosh.

564
00:35:34,732 --> 00:35:36,566
Wow.

565
00:35:40,605 --> 00:35:41,905
Look at this.

566
00:35:53,751 --> 00:35:55,852
This was
the manager's office here.

567
00:35:55,887 --> 00:35:58,755
This point, this is, um...

568
00:36:00,758 --> 00:36:03,660
This whole office looks like
it was in a shipwreck,

569
00:36:03,695 --> 00:36:06,629
like they just pulled it
out of the ocean.

570
00:36:06,664 --> 00:36:08,665
-Oh, wow.
-Yeah, look at this.

571
00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:11,534
This is where they would
monitor each area.

572
00:36:11,569 --> 00:36:13,603
Yep.

573
00:36:13,638 --> 00:36:17,207
Look at this,
still has the price tag on it.

574
00:36:17,242 --> 00:36:20,476
The month Katrina hit,

575
00:36:20,511 --> 00:36:22,212
2005,

576
00:36:22,247 --> 00:36:24,781
and this office stopped.

577
00:36:24,816 --> 00:36:26,883
Six Flags New Orleans,

578
00:36:26,918 --> 00:36:30,753
Fright Fest 2005.

579
00:36:30,788 --> 00:36:32,755
Of course, it never happened.

580
00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:36,226
Then, the schedules,
August 22nd, 2005,

581
00:36:36,261 --> 00:36:39,929
to August 28th, 2005.

582
00:36:39,964 --> 00:36:41,931
Wow.

583
00:36:43,968 --> 00:36:46,436
Despite the park's
Southern climate,

584
00:36:46,471 --> 00:36:49,906
Six Flags New Orleans was on
a seasonal operating schedule.

585
00:36:49,941 --> 00:36:54,577
The park's last day open
was August 21st, 2005.

586
00:36:54,612 --> 00:36:58,248
Scheduled to open the weekend
of the 27th and 28th,

587
00:36:58,283 --> 00:37:00,016
the park closed
due to storm preparation,

588
00:37:00,051 --> 00:37:03,653
and the plan to open was moved
to the following weekend.

589
00:37:03,688 --> 00:37:05,688
The park never opened again.

590
00:37:11,763 --> 00:37:13,730
Watch out for nails.

591
00:37:43,828 --> 00:37:45,862
Again, look at
the water line in here.

592
00:37:52,503 --> 00:37:54,737
Man, I'm...

593
00:37:54,772 --> 00:37:56,539
What's in here?

594
00:37:56,574 --> 00:37:57,974
-Whoa.
-Clothing area.

595
00:37:58,009 --> 00:37:59,976
-Wow.
-Whoa.

596
00:38:00,011 --> 00:38:02,679
-This is where all the--
-Yeah, you're right,

597
00:38:02,714 --> 00:38:05,581
this is costuming.

598
00:38:05,616 --> 00:38:07,583
Some of them
are still in the bags.

599
00:38:07,618 --> 00:38:10,086
-That's so incredible.
-Yeah, look at that.

600
00:38:10,121 --> 00:38:11,721
That, too.

601
00:38:14,559 --> 00:38:15,858
Look at that, "Men's pants,"
these are all

602
00:38:15,893 --> 00:38:18,861
still in their packaging.

603
00:38:18,896 --> 00:38:21,798
-Just ready for someone to--
-Dry cleaned and ready to go.

604
00:38:21,833 --> 00:38:24,767
Yeah, unbelievable.

605
00:38:24,802 --> 00:38:26,102
Holy crap.

606
00:38:28,072 --> 00:38:29,772
This is, like, the--
this is the warehouse

607
00:38:29,807 --> 00:38:31,841
-where they'd take shipments--
-Yeah, yep,

608
00:38:31,876 --> 00:38:35,111
this is where
they stored everything.

609
00:38:35,146 --> 00:38:36,779
Oh my God.

610
00:38:38,883 --> 00:38:41,918
It's something else.

611
00:38:41,953 --> 00:38:44,087
Look at--look.

612
00:38:44,122 --> 00:38:48,658
The park was gearing up
for a Halloween celebration

613
00:38:48,693 --> 00:38:50,660
at the end of August.

614
00:38:50,695 --> 00:38:52,929
Well, they were gearing up
at the end of August.

615
00:38:52,964 --> 00:38:57,600
So, I think that's why they have
Halloween cups in here.

616
00:38:57,635 --> 00:38:58,901
-Hey, check out these--
-Oh, yeah,

617
00:38:58,936 --> 00:39:01,137
Halloween decorations.

618
00:39:01,172 --> 00:39:03,039
Wow.

619
00:39:03,074 --> 00:39:05,742
Oh my God, man.

620
00:39:05,777 --> 00:39:08,078
This is unreal.

621
00:39:17,021 --> 00:39:19,789
I remember going into the park.

622
00:39:19,824 --> 00:39:23,893
Interestingly, it was
a really nice weather day.

623
00:39:23,928 --> 00:39:26,696
Came back,
actually went into my office.

624
00:39:26,731 --> 00:39:29,899
There were a handful of files
that I wanted to recover.

625
00:39:29,934 --> 00:39:32,835
Unfortunately,
they were unrecoverable.

626
00:39:32,870 --> 00:39:34,604
There was some memorabilia
that I had

627
00:39:34,639 --> 00:39:36,072
that I wanted to recover.

628
00:39:36,107 --> 00:39:39,008
Unfortunately, that too
was unrecoverable.

629
00:39:39,043 --> 00:39:41,878
The office was total trash,
you know, of course, furniture,

630
00:39:41,913 --> 00:39:45,114
like any other Katrina casualty.

631
00:39:45,149 --> 00:39:46,949
The furniture was upside down,

632
00:39:46,984 --> 00:39:49,619
inside out,
water lines on the walls,

633
00:39:49,654 --> 00:39:52,955
you know, mold and mildew
and so forth.

634
00:39:52,990 --> 00:39:56,092
Physically, if you walked
the park itself outside,

635
00:39:56,127 --> 00:39:57,860
it really didn't look that bad,

636
00:39:57,895 --> 00:39:59,695
because we were an outside
facility to begin with.

637
00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:00,830
If you just took
from the midway down,

638
00:40:00,865 --> 00:40:01,831
oh, the park looks fine.

639
00:40:01,866 --> 00:40:03,833
It's when you went into
the actual facilities

640
00:40:03,868 --> 00:40:07,637
that you saw the level
and the extent of the damage.

641
00:40:09,474 --> 00:40:12,875
I will say that Six Flags
Corporate, as a company,

642
00:40:12,910 --> 00:40:16,012
was extremely generous
to the employees

643
00:40:16,047 --> 00:40:18,014
of the New Orleans park

644
00:40:18,049 --> 00:40:19,849
following Hurricane Katrina.

645
00:40:19,884 --> 00:40:23,753
We actually remained on staff
and remained on payroll.

646
00:40:23,788 --> 00:40:25,655
We got paid every two weeks

647
00:40:25,690 --> 00:40:27,990
from the time of the hurricane

648
00:40:28,025 --> 00:40:31,795
until the end of April
the following year.

649
00:40:33,764 --> 00:40:36,999
We had a company-wide
conference.

650
00:40:37,034 --> 00:40:39,469
It was all the parks
in the entire Six Flags system

651
00:40:39,504 --> 00:40:40,670
in San Antonio that year,

652
00:40:40,705 --> 00:40:45,174
that would've been in either
late 2005 or early 2006,

653
00:40:45,209 --> 00:40:49,846
and Six Flags had gone
through a--Six Flags Corporate

654
00:40:49,881 --> 00:40:51,481
had gone through
a management change.

655
00:40:51,516 --> 00:40:53,983
Gary Story was
the president and CEO

656
00:40:54,018 --> 00:40:56,219
when we became Six Flags.

657
00:40:56,254 --> 00:40:58,488
We had a change in leadership,

658
00:40:58,523 --> 00:41:02,191
and at that conference
in San Antonio,

659
00:41:02,226 --> 00:41:04,660
it was me
and another counterpart,

660
00:41:04,695 --> 00:41:05,694
we introduced ourselves to him,

661
00:41:05,730 --> 00:41:07,897
we said, "We're from
the New Orleans park,"

662
00:41:07,932 --> 00:41:10,967
and I said, "We hope that
we have a park to come back to."

663
00:41:11,002 --> 00:41:13,870
And he gave me this look,
and he didn't say anything,

664
00:41:13,905 --> 00:41:15,071
and he just
kind of nodded his head,

665
00:41:15,106 --> 00:41:17,773
and I knew at that moment,
I said, "We're not going back."

666
00:41:17,808 --> 00:41:20,676
I said, "They're not gonna
rebuild this park."

667
00:41:33,558 --> 00:41:36,225
I don't know that
they thought too much

668
00:41:36,260 --> 00:41:39,529
about any of their parks
in that particular era.

669
00:41:39,564 --> 00:41:41,230
The maintenance,

670
00:41:41,265 --> 00:41:45,001
or lack thereof
at several properties,

671
00:41:45,036 --> 00:41:49,138
AstroWorld was
disgustingly dirty.

672
00:41:49,173 --> 00:41:51,140
New Orleans,
they kept it cleaner,

673
00:41:51,175 --> 00:41:53,809
but it wasn't really high
on their priority

674
00:41:53,844 --> 00:41:55,278
to do any upgrades.

675
00:41:55,313 --> 00:41:57,980
They weren't doing upgrades
at any of their parks

676
00:41:58,015 --> 00:42:00,082
in that particular time,
which is part of the reason

677
00:42:00,117 --> 00:42:01,317
that led
to the hostile takeover

678
00:42:01,352 --> 00:42:02,985
in December of 2005,

679
00:42:03,020 --> 00:42:06,155
it was they were
really just trying

680
00:42:06,190 --> 00:42:07,990
to keep the bills paid.

681
00:42:08,025 --> 00:42:11,160
In 2004, Six Flags
began selling off assets

682
00:42:11,195 --> 00:42:14,230
to try and help pay off
their growing debt.

683
00:42:14,265 --> 00:42:16,232
That year,
the company as a whole

684
00:42:16,267 --> 00:42:19,569
lost over $400 million,

685
00:42:19,604 --> 00:42:21,203
and after Hurricane Katrina,

686
00:42:21,238 --> 00:42:24,206
they determined the damage done
to their New Orleans park

687
00:42:24,241 --> 00:42:26,976
was over $32 million.

688
00:42:27,011 --> 00:42:29,812
The company then embarked
on a long and tedious battle

689
00:42:29,847 --> 00:42:33,082
with their insurance company
over the exact payouts.

690
00:42:33,117 --> 00:42:36,085
In the meantime, the Six Flags
New Orleans parking lot

691
00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:40,089
had been used
as a FEMA trailer camp.

692
00:42:40,124 --> 00:42:42,191
There was definitely
too many things going on

693
00:42:42,226 --> 00:42:44,961
for them to worry
about New Orleans.

694
00:42:44,996 --> 00:42:46,262
New Orleans was not
the only property

695
00:42:46,297 --> 00:42:48,197
they abandoned
at that particular time.

696
00:42:48,232 --> 00:42:51,834
Kentucky Kingdom
was likewise never reopened.

697
00:42:51,869 --> 00:42:53,836
It shut down
about the same time.

698
00:42:53,871 --> 00:42:56,839
AstroWorld, obviously,
was shut down at the same time,

699
00:42:56,874 --> 00:42:58,207
and it had nothing to do
with the hurricane,

700
00:42:58,242 --> 00:42:59,942
it was simply
a business decision

701
00:42:59,977 --> 00:43:02,278
that they needed money.

702
00:43:02,313 --> 00:43:05,915
So they closed down
the parks that were drains

703
00:43:05,950 --> 00:43:10,152
or where they felt like
they could get a quick cash grab

704
00:43:10,187 --> 00:43:12,221
and solve other issues.

705
00:43:12,256 --> 00:43:16,225
With New Orleans,
when Dan Snyder took over,

706
00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:19,895
he had way too many issues
with the rest of the chain

707
00:43:19,930 --> 00:43:21,230
to try to worry about

708
00:43:21,265 --> 00:43:22,431
what was happening
in New Orleans,

709
00:43:22,466 --> 00:43:27,870
and since it was a smaller park
and a smaller profit center,

710
00:43:27,905 --> 00:43:31,240
it wasn't a cash cow for him
to really worry about.

711
00:43:31,275 --> 00:43:34,010
It was, I'll tell you,
it was a little hurtful,

712
00:43:34,045 --> 00:43:35,845
but I think,
in the back of my mind,

713
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:41,150
we all kind of knew
that it was probably a 70-30,

714
00:43:41,185 --> 00:43:43,886
maybe an 80-20% chance

715
00:43:43,921 --> 00:43:47,223
that we were going
to get this park back.

716
00:43:47,258 --> 00:43:49,925
By 2007,
Six Flags quietly began

717
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:53,095
removing attractions
from the park for relocation,

718
00:43:53,130 --> 00:43:55,131
never publicly saying
what they had planned

719
00:43:55,166 --> 00:43:56,666
to do with the park.

720
00:43:56,701 --> 00:43:59,135
In 2009, the company
finally negotiated

721
00:43:59,170 --> 00:44:01,303
out of their land lease
with the city,

722
00:44:01,338 --> 00:44:04,874
paying out just $3 million
and giving the land back

723
00:44:04,909 --> 00:44:07,943
to the City of New Orleans.

724
00:44:07,978 --> 00:44:10,413
There's a certain point
where you can't be optimistic,

725
00:44:10,448 --> 00:44:12,314
where you see
Six Flags coming in

726
00:44:12,349 --> 00:44:16,218
and taking rides out,

727
00:44:16,253 --> 00:44:18,154
it's not a good sign.

728
00:44:18,189 --> 00:44:21,257
And they took the assets
that they brought into the park,

729
00:44:21,292 --> 00:44:23,159
any of the assets
that they wanted,

730
00:44:23,194 --> 00:44:26,062
and then those
that they had no interest in,

731
00:44:26,097 --> 00:44:29,198
they left them at the facility,
they left them at the site.

732
00:44:43,481 --> 00:44:47,216
Today, the only visitors
to the park are vandals,

733
00:44:47,251 --> 00:44:49,485
thieves, and urban explorers

734
00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:53,923
curious and eager to capture
what's left behind.

735
00:44:53,958 --> 00:44:57,259
I remember seeing it
really, really early,

736
00:44:57,294 --> 00:44:59,395
like right after
the water receded,

737
00:44:59,430 --> 00:45:01,263
and my heart just broke.

738
00:45:01,298 --> 00:45:05,101
I mean, it looked--
it just looked sad.

739
00:45:05,136 --> 00:45:06,335
It looked empty,

740
00:45:06,370 --> 00:45:09,305
it looked like it had
been hit by a hurricane.

741
00:45:09,340 --> 00:45:11,140
It looked lonely,

742
00:45:11,175 --> 00:45:14,009
and I remember,
because I was in 8th grade,

743
00:45:14,044 --> 00:45:16,312
it wasn't that long ago
that I was here

744
00:45:16,347 --> 00:45:19,014
when everything was lively
and, you know, going on.

745
00:45:19,049 --> 00:45:21,450
And so it hurt my heart
to see it,

746
00:45:21,485 --> 00:45:22,684
that's the saddest thing.

747
00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:27,056
It hadn't really hit me yet
that this was a city-wide thing,

748
00:45:27,091 --> 00:45:30,025
but this was just like
the biggest monument, I think,

749
00:45:30,060 --> 00:45:33,429
that I had personally been to

750
00:45:33,464 --> 00:45:35,498
that was at one time so colorful

751
00:45:35,533 --> 00:45:39,935
and now was all watermarked
and dirty and broken.

752
00:45:39,970 --> 00:45:42,171
It's definitely eye-opening
to see

753
00:45:42,206 --> 00:45:44,006
how easily Mother Nature

754
00:45:44,041 --> 00:45:46,275
can take back things
so quickly, quietly.

755
00:46:02,493 --> 00:46:06,529
Hurricane Katrina left
Six Flags New Orleans destroyed.

756
00:46:06,564 --> 00:46:08,197
It has been 15 years,

757
00:46:08,232 --> 00:46:11,066
and the park sits there
frozen in time.

758
00:46:11,101 --> 00:46:13,068
Would rebuilding a theme park
in New Orleans

759
00:46:13,103 --> 00:46:16,005
fill the hole in the community
and prosper?

760
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:18,274
Jazzland failed
in just a few years,

761
00:46:18,309 --> 00:46:21,177
but Six Flags New Orleans
was a success.

762
00:46:21,212 --> 00:46:24,146
With $23.2 million in revenue,

763
00:46:24,181 --> 00:46:27,349
the park profited $13.6 million.

764
00:46:27,384 --> 00:46:31,520
However, in 2009,
Six Flags declared bankruptcy.

765
00:46:31,555 --> 00:46:33,489
Ultimately,
the decision was made

766
00:46:33,524 --> 00:46:36,091
to abandon
their New Orleans park,

767
00:46:36,126 --> 00:46:40,296
leaving a permanent scar
in the community.

768
00:46:40,331 --> 00:46:44,333
While Mayor Nagin wanted
Six Flags to come back,

769
00:46:44,368 --> 00:46:46,268
it just really wasn't
in the cards.

770
00:46:46,303 --> 00:46:49,405
I think the crowds
had gone down,

771
00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:53,242
I don't think they drew
as many people out there

772
00:46:53,277 --> 00:46:55,544
for whatever reason,
I don't know.

773
00:46:55,579 --> 00:46:57,279
We all worked so hard

774
00:46:57,314 --> 00:47:00,382
to make the park
an amazing experience

775
00:47:00,417 --> 00:47:04,286
and to try to bring
as many folks as we could.

776
00:47:04,321 --> 00:47:08,390
And we did--we did great volume
in sales of season passes

777
00:47:08,425 --> 00:47:11,560
and group tickets
for weekends, of course,

778
00:47:11,595 --> 00:47:14,129
but we always struggled
with weekday attendance.

779
00:47:14,164 --> 00:47:15,531
You know, it's hard.

780
00:47:15,566 --> 00:47:18,033
We're a smaller market,
so to get folks to drive in

781
00:47:18,068 --> 00:47:20,269
from Mississippi or Alabama
during the weekday,

782
00:47:20,304 --> 00:47:21,403
that's a weekend trip,

783
00:47:21,438 --> 00:47:24,173
so we relied
on the New Orleans market

784
00:47:24,208 --> 00:47:27,142
to support us,
and for better or worse,

785
00:47:27,177 --> 00:47:28,377
unfortunately or fortunately,

786
00:47:28,412 --> 00:47:30,279
depending on how you look at it,

787
00:47:30,314 --> 00:47:32,081
I don't know
if we ever felt the love

788
00:47:32,116 --> 00:47:36,085
that we really should have felt
from people in New Orleans.

789
00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:37,620
Another thing that I think
was a detriment to us

790
00:47:37,655 --> 00:47:39,555
was the fact that it's hot here,

791
00:47:39,590 --> 00:47:41,090
you know, I mean,
there's no denying

792
00:47:41,125 --> 00:47:43,325
that New Orleans is a hot city.

793
00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:48,130
And not having a water park
as a supplemental element

794
00:47:48,165 --> 00:47:50,065
certainly did hurt us.

795
00:47:50,100 --> 00:47:52,134
You know, again,
we were actually planning

796
00:47:52,169 --> 00:47:55,671
to put the water park in
for the--

797
00:47:55,706 --> 00:47:57,673
would have been the 2006 season,

798
00:47:57,708 --> 00:47:59,475
but Hurricane Katrina

799
00:47:59,510 --> 00:48:01,577
certainly had
other plans for us.

800
00:48:01,612 --> 00:48:05,581
For a Six Flags type park,
the numbers were low.

801
00:48:05,616 --> 00:48:07,583
Six Flags parks typically get

802
00:48:07,618 --> 00:48:10,185
at least two million people
a year.

803
00:48:10,220 --> 00:48:12,454
The New Orleans market
is a smaller market,

804
00:48:12,489 --> 00:48:15,491
so the numbers were less
than a million.

805
00:48:15,526 --> 00:48:20,529
But if you look at
locally owned regional parks,

806
00:48:20,564 --> 00:48:23,098
family type parks.

807
00:48:23,133 --> 00:48:25,668
Those attendance numbers
are in the 800,000

808
00:48:25,703 --> 00:48:28,404
to one million range.

809
00:48:28,439 --> 00:48:30,239
Those are numbers

810
00:48:30,274 --> 00:48:34,176
that sustained
those family parks very well

811
00:48:34,211 --> 00:48:37,479
with profit margins
as high as 50 percent.

812
00:48:37,514 --> 00:48:39,615
Six Flags even in New Orleans

813
00:48:39,650 --> 00:48:42,685
had profit margins
of over 50 percent.

814
00:48:42,720 --> 00:48:45,521
It's a smaller market,

815
00:48:45,556 --> 00:48:47,489
but it's still
a profitable market,

816
00:48:47,524 --> 00:48:50,492
and we're not expecting it
to be anything above and beyond

817
00:48:50,527 --> 00:48:52,394
what was necessarily there
before.

818
00:48:52,429 --> 00:48:57,499
If we just do what they did,
we will be doing quite well.

819
00:48:57,534 --> 00:49:00,135
I actually, like the city
would have cared,

820
00:49:00,170 --> 00:49:01,470
I actually sent an email
to City Hall

821
00:49:01,505 --> 00:49:03,672
and I said, "Six Flags
is gonna bail."

822
00:49:03,707 --> 00:49:05,307
Like they're gonna
pay attention,

823
00:49:05,342 --> 00:49:06,575
but I just knew it,

824
00:49:06,610 --> 00:49:10,279
there was no way
that they would stay.

825
00:49:10,314 --> 00:49:12,481
They were in it to, like I said,

826
00:49:12,516 --> 00:49:14,516
get that low-cost investment

827
00:49:14,551 --> 00:49:19,455
where they can put in
$10 million, $25 million here

828
00:49:19,490 --> 00:49:22,391
for new attractions
or expansions.

829
00:49:22,426 --> 00:49:25,327
They weren't gonna rebuild
a park from scratch.

830
00:49:25,362 --> 00:49:29,231
At that time, Nickelodeon
was looking at the park

831
00:49:29,266 --> 00:49:32,634
to rebuild it as
a Nickelodeon theme park

832
00:49:32,669 --> 00:49:34,536
that we tried--

833
00:49:34,571 --> 00:49:36,739
I was working with them
at the time as well.

834
00:49:36,774 --> 00:49:40,642
We tried for about
six months altogether

835
00:49:40,677 --> 00:49:45,581
before that effort
really just hit

836
00:49:45,616 --> 00:49:49,284
one dead end after another.

837
00:49:49,319 --> 00:49:51,520
Mayor Nagin's term was ended,

838
00:49:51,555 --> 00:49:54,323
and Mayor Landrieu
came into office,

839
00:49:54,358 --> 00:49:59,194
so things kind of started
all over fresh with him in 2010.

840
00:49:59,229 --> 00:50:01,230
We proposed to rebuild it
as Jazzland.

841
00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:06,335
This is our plans
for the whole area.

842
00:50:06,370 --> 00:50:09,571
This about a 15-year buildout.

843
00:50:09,606 --> 00:50:13,575
Where the park is,
along with associated lands

844
00:50:13,610 --> 00:50:19,815
to really turn it into a large,
destination-quality resort.

845
00:50:19,850 --> 00:50:23,318
Long term, 15 years,
we'd love to see two theme parks

846
00:50:23,353 --> 00:50:26,588
as well as the water park
and mixed use,

847
00:50:26,623 --> 00:50:29,224
something kind of like
a Downtown Disney,

848
00:50:29,259 --> 00:50:31,260
something that gives
both the locals

849
00:50:31,295 --> 00:50:32,694
as well as tourists

850
00:50:32,729 --> 00:50:35,464
shopping and entertainment
options and dining.

851
00:50:35,499 --> 00:50:37,599
The theme park itself,
right now, we're estimating

852
00:50:37,634 --> 00:50:40,369
about $65 million to rebuild it,

853
00:50:40,404 --> 00:50:42,471
compared to
a brand-new theme park.

854
00:50:42,506 --> 00:50:44,440
A brand-new theme park
would be $200 million.

855
00:50:44,475 --> 00:50:46,442
So it's still
a huge cost savings,

856
00:50:46,477 --> 00:50:49,478
and it's what makes
the project feasible.

857
00:50:49,513 --> 00:50:53,749
You cannot build
a new theme park in this market

858
00:50:53,784 --> 00:50:57,619
because you cannot justify
those costs.

859
00:50:57,654 --> 00:50:59,388
We've looked at every building,

860
00:50:59,423 --> 00:51:02,758
every item, every ride,
everything,

861
00:51:02,793 --> 00:51:04,493
and have individual
cost estimates

862
00:51:04,528 --> 00:51:06,562
for each individual thing.

863
00:51:06,597 --> 00:51:09,498
The concrete is what's primary,

864
00:51:09,533 --> 00:51:13,669
is what makes it the most
efficient use to rebuild.

865
00:51:13,704 --> 00:51:16,605
The concrete and foundations
were built very well.

866
00:51:16,640 --> 00:51:19,641
They're on top of piers
that have supported them,

867
00:51:19,676 --> 00:51:22,878
there's no cracks,
they are structurally sound,

868
00:51:22,913 --> 00:51:24,880
and they can support
the new equipment

869
00:51:24,915 --> 00:51:26,648
that would be brought in.

870
00:51:26,683 --> 00:51:30,319
So things like Mega Zeph,
which has steel infrastructure,

871
00:51:30,354 --> 00:51:34,289
that can be rebuilt for
$4.5 million to $5 million

872
00:51:34,324 --> 00:51:36,325
versus building new
that would have been

873
00:51:36,360 --> 00:51:38,293
about $15 million.

874
00:51:38,328 --> 00:51:41,697
Right now, I have my sights
on the Six Flags site,

875
00:51:41,732 --> 00:51:44,833
which we are now running numbers
for demolition,

876
00:51:44,868 --> 00:51:46,368
really as I speak.

877
00:51:52,843 --> 00:51:55,811
-Honestly?
-Did you not know?

878
00:51:55,846 --> 00:51:57,779
-No, you want me to be serious?
-Be absolutely honest.

879
00:51:57,814 --> 00:52:01,550
Yeah, they've been saying that
for 10, 15 years.

880
00:52:01,585 --> 00:52:04,887
They stopped talking about it,
you know, late 2006,

881
00:52:04,922 --> 00:52:06,421
nobody really said anything,

882
00:52:06,456 --> 00:52:07,689
and then you'd see
like a news article

883
00:52:07,724 --> 00:52:08,623
in the Times-Picayune
and they go,

884
00:52:08,659 --> 00:52:10,726
"Oh, well,
somebody's buying the park.

885
00:52:10,761 --> 00:52:11,727
Let's see if they rebuild it,

886
00:52:11,762 --> 00:52:14,463
or let's see
if they build a subdivision,

887
00:52:14,498 --> 00:52:17,366
or see if they build
like a shopping mall,"

888
00:52:17,401 --> 00:52:18,434
and then it was nothing.

889
00:52:19,870 --> 00:52:22,437
I really doubt
an amusement park

890
00:52:22,472 --> 00:52:26,708
could ever be
in that site's future.

891
00:52:26,743 --> 00:52:31,547
They know that it's an issue
with trespassing.

892
00:52:31,582 --> 00:52:33,682
They feel that getting rid of it

893
00:52:33,717 --> 00:52:39,454
would be the easiest solution
to keep the trespassers out.

894
00:52:39,489 --> 00:52:43,192
Unfortunately, that doesn't do
anything for the neighbors.

895
00:52:43,227 --> 00:52:45,527
It's still a blighted,
abandoned property

896
00:52:45,562 --> 00:52:46,728
that would be sitting there.

897
00:52:46,763 --> 00:52:51,466
It is surrounded by vacant land
that hasn't been developed

898
00:52:51,501 --> 00:52:52,600
for the last 20 years,

899
00:52:52,636 --> 00:52:55,704
there's no reason to suspect
that a demolished park

900
00:52:55,739 --> 00:52:59,441
would all of a sudden
be attractive and be developed.

901
00:52:59,476 --> 00:53:00,308
If you have the funding,

902
00:53:00,344 --> 00:53:03,712
if you believe
that you can do this,

903
00:53:03,747 --> 00:53:05,414
bring the park back up,

904
00:53:05,449 --> 00:53:07,849
why would the city
not want to do that?

905
00:53:07,884 --> 00:53:10,219
Why would the city
not want to go with you?

906
00:53:10,254 --> 00:53:12,788
You're trying to get me
into trouble.

907
00:53:12,823 --> 00:53:15,557
We know that
the previous administration

908
00:53:15,592 --> 00:53:18,493
didn't necessarily
support development

909
00:53:18,528 --> 00:53:19,761
in New Orleans East.

910
00:53:19,796 --> 00:53:22,831
The current administration
seems more open

911
00:53:22,866 --> 00:53:24,900
and wanting to do things
for New Orleans East,

912
00:53:24,935 --> 00:53:27,869
but there is
a perception issue.

913
00:53:27,904 --> 00:53:30,639
The people of New Orleans East
are not given credit

914
00:53:30,674 --> 00:53:34,576
for the quality of life
that they really do have.

915
00:53:34,611 --> 00:53:36,778
It's a nice neighborhood,
there are great people

916
00:53:36,813 --> 00:53:37,979
that live in New Orleans East.

917
00:53:38,014 --> 00:53:40,649
That was some of the things
that the developers sold us,

918
00:53:40,684 --> 00:53:42,684
saying it's gonna be
just like you living

919
00:53:42,719 --> 00:53:43,919
a block away from Disney World,

920
00:53:43,954 --> 00:53:46,521
and your property value
will soar,

921
00:53:46,556 --> 00:53:49,658
but since Katrina, 2005,
it's been sitting dormant,

922
00:53:49,693 --> 00:53:51,660
empty, and ruined
since that time,

923
00:53:51,695 --> 00:53:54,429
so how is that gonna
make a positive effect

924
00:53:54,464 --> 00:53:57,499
on your home,
on the value of your home

925
00:53:57,534 --> 00:53:59,534
when you've got
an eyesore like this?

926
00:54:08,712 --> 00:54:11,480
I would think that if this was
in Downtown New Orleans,

927
00:54:11,515 --> 00:54:12,681
it wouldn't take this long
for the city

928
00:54:12,716 --> 00:54:14,583
to actually do something
with it.

929
00:54:14,618 --> 00:54:16,451
By being out here
in this neighborhood,

930
00:54:16,486 --> 00:54:18,787
or whatever, I guess
they just take their time.

931
00:54:18,822 --> 00:54:21,056
We're talking 2005
and now we're in 2020.

932
00:54:21,091 --> 00:54:22,791
Take a walk up on my deck

933
00:54:22,826 --> 00:54:24,626
and you take a look
over the back,

934
00:54:24,661 --> 00:54:26,295
and what I remember seeing
years ago

935
00:54:26,330 --> 00:54:27,963
was a bunch of forest,
beautiful,

936
00:54:27,998 --> 00:54:30,299
and now you come up here
and, of course,

937
00:54:30,334 --> 00:54:32,834
the first 100,
200 feet you see the trees,

938
00:54:32,869 --> 00:54:34,636
but then you see
a parking lot that's empty

939
00:54:34,671 --> 00:54:36,605
with rusted-out lights,

940
00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:37,573
and then you see
the roller coaster

941
00:54:37,608 --> 00:54:39,308
off in the distance
that's sitting dormant,

942
00:54:39,343 --> 00:54:41,677
just sitting there and whatever.

943
00:54:41,712 --> 00:54:44,713
We just hoped that the city
would do something with it.

944
00:54:44,748 --> 00:54:48,950
My home was valued more in 2005

945
00:54:48,985 --> 00:54:51,586
than it is
currently valued today.

946
00:54:51,621 --> 00:54:53,522
Whereas the rest
of New Orleans,

947
00:54:53,557 --> 00:54:55,657
outside of Eastern New Orleans,

948
00:54:55,692 --> 00:54:58,827
the values have surpassed
the pre-Katrina values.

949
00:54:58,862 --> 00:55:01,063
So from--if you're a resident
and you're sitting there

950
00:55:01,098 --> 00:55:03,598
and you're kinda waiting
for things to come up,

951
00:55:03,633 --> 00:55:05,801
and one of the crowning
elements of blight

952
00:55:05,836 --> 00:55:08,103
that is depressing
the values of properties

953
00:55:08,138 --> 00:55:09,871
is this Jazzland site.

954
00:55:09,906 --> 00:55:13,008
So it's been frustrating
for our residents

955
00:55:13,043 --> 00:55:14,743
for a long time.

956
00:55:14,778 --> 00:55:18,647
And the problem is
there's not a plan yet

957
00:55:18,682 --> 00:55:20,515
to do something about it,

958
00:55:20,550 --> 00:55:22,751
so residents have just
been sitting there

959
00:55:22,786 --> 00:55:25,754
with major investments
and, for many people,

960
00:55:25,789 --> 00:55:27,356
the biggest investment
they'll make in their lives

961
00:55:27,391 --> 00:55:28,857
is in their homes,

962
00:55:28,892 --> 00:55:30,892
and they're seeing those values,

963
00:55:30,927 --> 00:55:32,761
in many cases,
they're upside down.

964
00:55:32,796 --> 00:55:35,831
He will be the moral compass
of this city.

965
00:55:35,866 --> 00:55:37,566
We need a champion

966
00:55:37,601 --> 00:55:40,569
who will guide a master plan
to completion.

967
00:55:40,604 --> 00:55:43,071
We need a champion
who will bring serenity

968
00:55:43,106 --> 00:55:45,640
and safety back to our streets.

969
00:55:45,675 --> 00:55:47,976
We need a champion
who will pave our roads

970
00:55:48,011 --> 00:55:50,545
while paving the way
for a new generation.

971
00:55:50,580 --> 00:55:52,948
We need a champion for change.

972
00:55:52,983 --> 00:55:56,752
We need the next mayor
of the City of New Orleans,

973
00:55:56,787 --> 00:55:58,587
Troy Henry!

974
00:56:01,691 --> 00:56:02,991
It was one of
the principle drivers

975
00:56:03,026 --> 00:56:05,927
for me deciding to run
for office,

976
00:56:05,962 --> 00:56:07,929
and for mayor specifically,

977
00:56:07,964 --> 00:56:10,866
was because, I mean,
the executive branch

978
00:56:10,901 --> 00:56:12,801
is supposed to execute.

979
00:56:12,836 --> 00:56:16,671
And we had had
too many politicians

980
00:56:16,706 --> 00:56:19,074
and not enough
managerial experts

981
00:56:19,109 --> 00:56:20,575
that could really understand

982
00:56:20,610 --> 00:56:22,944
how to manage
a complex enterprise.

983
00:56:22,979 --> 00:56:25,881
I just have a vision
for the city that is different,

984
00:56:25,916 --> 00:56:29,151
and having lived in California
and Pittsburgh

985
00:56:29,186 --> 00:56:32,187
and Boston and D.C.
and Atlanta and Houston,

986
00:56:32,222 --> 00:56:35,657
so I've seen a lot and seen
how those cities have grown

987
00:56:35,692 --> 00:56:37,859
and sort of blown past
New Orleans,

988
00:56:37,894 --> 00:56:39,694
and I wanted New Orleans
to have that chance

989
00:56:39,729 --> 00:56:43,765
to realize that same sort
of meteoric growth.

990
00:56:43,800 --> 00:56:46,768
And perhaps maybe
the residents of New Orleans

991
00:56:46,803 --> 00:56:50,105
aren't interested in being
a more cosmopolitan growth,

992
00:56:50,140 --> 00:56:52,107
and maybe they want us
to kind of stay more the same.

993
00:56:52,142 --> 00:56:55,777
But the risk of doing that
is what has happened now

994
00:56:55,812 --> 00:56:58,613
is we're sort of
a one-trick pony

995
00:56:58,648 --> 00:57:01,049
principally
revolving around tourism.

996
00:57:01,084 --> 00:57:05,854
New Orleans East
was really forgotten

997
00:57:05,889 --> 00:57:07,989
for a number of years
after Katrina.

998
00:57:08,024 --> 00:57:11,226
Everything that they've done,
they've had to do themselves.

999
00:57:11,261 --> 00:57:14,229
They were last on the list
for the city.

1000
00:57:14,264 --> 00:57:16,131
But up until
the New Orleans East Hospital

1001
00:57:16,166 --> 00:57:18,733
finally reopened,
if you got sick,

1002
00:57:18,768 --> 00:57:20,135
if you had a heart attack,

1003
00:57:20,170 --> 00:57:23,939
you had to drive 20 minutes
to get to someplace

1004
00:57:23,974 --> 00:57:25,874
so that you could be
taken care of,

1005
00:57:25,909 --> 00:57:27,943
because there wasn't anyplace
in New Orleans East.

1006
00:57:27,978 --> 00:57:29,744
Just like
the previous administration,

1007
00:57:29,779 --> 00:57:30,812
I think they're struggling.

1008
00:57:30,847 --> 00:57:32,948
They want to do something
for New Orleans East,

1009
00:57:32,983 --> 00:57:36,117
but the city doesn't know
exactly what to do.

1010
00:57:36,152 --> 00:57:39,154
So they've hired consultants
to do studies

1011
00:57:39,189 --> 00:57:40,789
and all kinds of stuff,

1012
00:57:40,824 --> 00:57:42,924
but what they really
don't have is a deal.

1013
00:57:42,959 --> 00:57:44,058
They don't have
a development plan.

1014
00:57:44,094 --> 00:57:46,728
So they've gotten these folks
to come up and say,

1015
00:57:46,763 --> 00:57:48,897
"If you do this, this will
make it more attractive.

1016
00:57:48,932 --> 00:57:51,032
If you do this, this will
make it more attractive."

1017
00:57:51,067 --> 00:57:53,802
The long and short of it is,
a person who's got money

1018
00:57:53,837 --> 00:57:56,671
and who's got a deal
is gonna do a deal.

1019
00:57:56,706 --> 00:57:58,139
All of this,
"This is gonna make it better,

1020
00:57:58,174 --> 00:57:59,407
and that's gonna
make it better,"

1021
00:57:59,442 --> 00:58:02,978
that's just moving the chairs
around the deck of the Titanic.

1022
00:58:03,013 --> 00:58:06,047
The city had been
working on a report

1023
00:58:06,082 --> 00:58:07,682
about the best use.

1024
00:58:07,717 --> 00:58:09,217
It was a best use study
for the site.

1025
00:58:09,252 --> 00:58:13,688
They came up with best use
being something

1026
00:58:13,723 --> 00:58:15,824
with a lot of green and nature.

1027
00:58:15,859 --> 00:58:17,959
In the very same sentence,
they said,

1028
00:58:17,994 --> 00:58:19,961
"It needs to be big and bold,

1029
00:58:19,996 --> 00:58:21,897
something that's gonna
bring the tourists in,

1030
00:58:21,932 --> 00:58:24,933
like birdwatching."

1031
00:58:24,968 --> 00:58:26,902
There was complete silence
in the room.

1032
00:58:28,238 --> 00:58:32,073
Obviously, the residents
were not happy at all.

1033
00:58:32,108 --> 00:58:33,975
They want the park to come back.

1034
00:58:34,010 --> 00:58:35,310
From everything
that they've told us

1035
00:58:35,345 --> 00:58:36,544
and from everything
we've read online

1036
00:58:36,580 --> 00:58:40,248
and when we've spoken with them
and met with various people,

1037
00:58:40,283 --> 00:58:41,750
that's what they want.

1038
00:58:41,785 --> 00:58:42,951
After that meeting, they said

1039
00:58:42,986 --> 00:58:44,920
that they were gonna
come out with an RFQ,

1040
00:58:44,955 --> 00:58:47,756
so I think the timing
works to their benefit

1041
00:58:47,791 --> 00:58:51,226
as far as,
"We're doing something,

1042
00:58:51,261 --> 00:58:53,929
we're going to award this
to a developer,

1043
00:58:53,964 --> 00:58:55,330
we're taking steps,

1044
00:58:55,365 --> 00:58:57,832
so please give us your votes
this November."

1045
00:58:57,867 --> 00:59:00,135
The city is fishing,
and they're desperate,

1046
00:59:00,170 --> 00:59:04,839
because it is, you know,
election time in October.

1047
00:59:04,874 --> 00:59:08,076
But I'm also hopeful that,
for the first time,

1048
00:59:08,111 --> 00:59:11,079
they've probably got a--
we believe our offer

1049
00:59:11,114 --> 00:59:13,582
is gonna be
a truly credible offer.

1050
00:59:13,617 --> 00:59:15,317
I wanted to bring back

1051
00:59:15,352 --> 00:59:17,319
a sports
and entertainment complex

1052
00:59:17,354 --> 00:59:19,120
to the Jazzland facility.

1053
00:59:19,155 --> 00:59:21,823
We're one of the bidders
on this project now,

1054
00:59:21,858 --> 00:59:23,925
so our proposal is
to reconstitute it

1055
00:59:23,960 --> 00:59:25,260
as an amusement park,

1056
00:59:25,295 --> 00:59:28,363
adding a water park
and a sports complex to it.

1057
00:59:28,398 --> 00:59:29,864
Our vision is to make this

1058
00:59:29,899 --> 00:59:32,834
a bigger sports
and entertainment concept,

1059
00:59:32,869 --> 00:59:35,070
so that's what we'll be
proposing to the city.

1060
00:59:35,105 --> 00:59:36,938
I don't know if they'll
accept our proposal

1061
00:59:36,973 --> 00:59:38,873
as the right vision.

1062
00:59:38,908 --> 00:59:40,241
Our second alternate proposal

1063
00:59:40,276 --> 00:59:43,778
is we've also had
some discussions with Amazon

1064
00:59:43,813 --> 00:59:46,047
as a distribution center
for that site.

1065
00:59:46,082 --> 00:59:47,882
We're not sure which one
of those two visions

1066
00:59:47,917 --> 00:59:49,250
will end up...

1067
00:59:49,285 --> 00:59:50,852
If we're selected,
we're gonna kind of

1068
00:59:50,887 --> 00:59:53,054
evaluate both of those
principally,

1069
00:59:53,089 --> 00:59:57,225
and whichever one
makes the most sense,

1070
00:59:57,260 --> 00:59:59,327
if we're selected,
we're gonna execute on that.

1071
00:59:59,362 --> 01:00:01,896
Yes, all those things
would be lovely in that area.

1072
01:00:01,931 --> 01:00:05,900
We're getting an Amazon
here in Baton Rouge, a huge one,

1073
01:00:05,935 --> 01:00:07,802
and it does employ
a lot of people,

1074
01:00:07,837 --> 01:00:09,204
but there's just
better locations

1075
01:00:09,239 --> 01:00:10,405
for those things.

1076
01:00:10,440 --> 01:00:11,373
You could even
go down the street

1077
01:00:11,408 --> 01:00:13,141
to the old plaza location

1078
01:00:13,176 --> 01:00:15,310
that the city kind of has
its fingers on,

1079
01:00:15,345 --> 01:00:17,846
because of loans
and taxes and stuff.

1080
01:00:17,881 --> 01:00:20,148
That would be far better
for those purposes

1081
01:00:20,183 --> 01:00:21,816
than the park property.

1082
01:00:21,851 --> 01:00:24,152
We're expecting
to be under construction

1083
01:00:24,187 --> 01:00:26,388
sometime in 2022,

1084
01:00:26,423 --> 01:00:29,090
which means we open in 2024.

1085
01:00:29,125 --> 01:00:30,925
They definitely need

1086
01:00:30,960 --> 01:00:34,062
entertainment venues
to come back.

1087
01:00:34,097 --> 01:00:36,064
The hotels are struggling
right now.

1088
01:00:36,099 --> 01:00:38,433
Many of the downtown hotels
don't even have

1089
01:00:38,468 --> 01:00:40,268
5 percent occupancy,

1090
01:00:40,303 --> 01:00:42,303
and they need something
that's going to help boost

1091
01:00:42,338 --> 01:00:45,106
and bring families
and tourists back,

1092
01:00:45,141 --> 01:00:49,444
so we're hoping maybe
that plays out to our benefit,

1093
01:00:49,479 --> 01:00:50,879
but we'll see.

1094
01:00:50,914 --> 01:00:52,080
In the short term, I mean,

1095
01:00:52,115 --> 01:00:55,250
obviously, these companies
are struggling,

1096
01:00:55,285 --> 01:00:58,853
but the ones that are going
to be able to weather the storm

1097
01:00:58,888 --> 01:01:01,222
have to view a growth strategy.

1098
01:01:01,257 --> 01:01:04,359
So as we emerge
out of this pandemic

1099
01:01:04,394 --> 01:01:08,096
and the depressing earnings
that they've realized,

1100
01:01:08,131 --> 01:01:10,365
it now gives them the ability
to sort of rebound

1101
01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:13,134
in a bigger way
than it even did pre-pandemic,

1102
01:01:13,169 --> 01:01:16,004
because now they've got
more assets

1103
01:01:16,039 --> 01:01:18,073
that are now available
in the marketplace.

1104
01:01:18,108 --> 01:01:22,110
So we think that
they're all hurting right now,

1105
01:01:22,145 --> 01:01:25,947
but we think, come time
where we're now

1106
01:01:25,982 --> 01:01:27,248
redeveloping that site,

1107
01:01:27,283 --> 01:01:29,050
they're all looking
at the future.

1108
01:01:29,085 --> 01:01:31,386
We've always wanted the public

1109
01:01:31,421 --> 01:01:34,155
and the community
to be involved.

1110
01:01:34,190 --> 01:01:38,159
A little less
than two years ago, we said,

1111
01:01:38,194 --> 01:01:40,962
"Well, why wait
until we're open?

1112
01:01:40,997 --> 01:01:44,132
Why wait until
we have the property?

1113
01:01:44,167 --> 01:01:46,000
Why not just do it now?"

1114
01:01:46,035 --> 01:01:48,403
We've created what we call
the Rhythm Section,

1115
01:01:48,438 --> 01:01:52,173
which is
our New Orleans East specific

1116
01:01:52,208 --> 01:01:54,943
community advisory board.

1117
01:01:54,978 --> 01:01:57,245
It's composed of people
that actually do live

1118
01:01:57,280 --> 01:02:00,482
within just a very short
distance of the park,

1119
01:02:00,517 --> 01:02:03,284
and they are with us
every step of the way.

1120
01:02:03,319 --> 01:02:05,120
We get their feedback
and comments

1121
01:02:05,155 --> 01:02:06,154
on everything we do,

1122
01:02:06,190 --> 01:02:09,124
they get an advanced copy
of the RFQ response

1123
01:02:09,159 --> 01:02:12,193
so that they can give us
their feedback

1124
01:02:12,228 --> 01:02:14,362
as to what they want.

1125
01:02:14,397 --> 01:02:18,166
This response is very much
going to be theirs,

1126
01:02:18,201 --> 01:02:19,434
because the park is theirs.

1127
01:02:19,469 --> 01:02:23,438
But I think the idea
of rehabilitating

1128
01:02:23,473 --> 01:02:26,941
and reinvigorating
an amusement complex

1129
01:02:26,976 --> 01:02:29,444
that now has a water park to it,

1130
01:02:29,479 --> 01:02:31,346
that now has
an amusement park to it,

1131
01:02:31,381 --> 01:02:34,115
that now has
a sports complex to it,

1132
01:02:34,150 --> 01:02:36,518
and making it into
a family-friendly destination

1133
01:02:36,553 --> 01:02:39,220
tied in with the cruise lines

1134
01:02:39,255 --> 01:02:42,557
is something that's very unique
and is a unique opportunity

1135
01:02:42,592 --> 01:02:44,325
for us to take advantage of.

1136
01:02:44,360 --> 01:02:46,795
Fulfillment center is great,

1137
01:02:46,830 --> 01:02:48,329
but to me, that would be 1B.

1138
01:02:48,364 --> 01:02:50,965
If I had my druthers,
and if we can make--

1139
01:02:51,000 --> 01:02:53,334
get the commitments
that we need to happen happen,

1140
01:02:53,369 --> 01:02:55,336
you know, I think the sports
and entertainment complex

1141
01:02:55,371 --> 01:02:56,971
would be pretty exciting.

1142
01:02:57,006 --> 01:02:57,905
And I think it would bring

1143
01:02:57,941 --> 01:03:01,075
the rest of the residents
in the region

1144
01:03:01,110 --> 01:03:03,344
back to New Orleans East
with a positive light,

1145
01:03:03,379 --> 01:03:06,147
because recently the things
they've heard most about

1146
01:03:06,182 --> 01:03:08,449
have been crime-oriented things
that have happened

1147
01:03:08,484 --> 01:03:10,218
in Eastern New Orleans.

1148
01:03:10,253 --> 01:03:11,452
I think this would be something

1149
01:03:11,487 --> 01:03:13,822
that would make regional noise,

1150
01:03:13,857 --> 01:03:16,057
it would make--
it would really be

1151
01:03:16,092 --> 01:03:17,992
a reinvigorating
and revitalization

1152
01:03:18,027 --> 01:03:20,361
that is long,
long, long overdue.

1153
01:03:20,396 --> 01:03:25,266
Even if we get
the concessionaire agreement,

1154
01:03:25,301 --> 01:03:28,303
that, come this fall
and they get reelected,

1155
01:03:28,338 --> 01:03:33,141
what's to stop them from saying,
"Okay, we tried, never mind"?

1156
01:03:33,176 --> 01:03:35,376
It's definitely a thought
that goes through our heads,

1157
01:03:35,411 --> 01:03:37,579
because we've been
through this process

1158
01:03:37,614 --> 01:03:39,347
a time or two,

1159
01:03:39,382 --> 01:03:42,317
and there's not a lot of faith.

1160
01:03:51,160 --> 01:03:53,261
Okay, good morning, everyone.

1161
01:03:53,296 --> 01:03:55,530
The Purchasing Bureau
does hereby certify

1162
01:03:55,565 --> 01:03:59,434
they are unable
to perform RFQ #961

1163
01:03:59,469 --> 01:04:02,437
Six Flags/Jazzland site
redevelopment

1164
01:04:02,472 --> 01:04:07,275
on this day, Tuesday,
March 16th, 2021, at 12 P.M.

1165
01:06:43,499 --> 01:06:45,700
Let me just ask you then,
sort of broadly,

1166
01:06:45,735 --> 01:06:48,236
what's your overall
reaction today?

1167
01:06:48,271 --> 01:06:51,372
We are definitely
very disappointed.

1168
01:06:51,407 --> 01:06:55,276
Disappointed, frustrated,

1169
01:06:55,311 --> 01:06:59,414
irate, to some extent.

1170
01:06:59,449 --> 01:07:04,218
We definitely do not feel
like the scoring was done

1171
01:07:04,253 --> 01:07:06,454
in a fair and equitable manner.

1172
01:07:06,489 --> 01:07:10,458
This was a day that we had said

1173
01:07:10,493 --> 01:07:12,693
this would probably
be it for us,

1174
01:07:12,728 --> 01:07:15,363
and it still might be it for us.

1175
01:07:15,398 --> 01:07:17,265
We'll all move on
and do our other things

1176
01:07:17,300 --> 01:07:20,601
that we've been doing anyway.

1177
01:07:20,636 --> 01:07:22,804
'Cause it has been
a long nine years,

1178
01:07:22,839 --> 01:07:29,243
and to have the community
and the public

1179
01:07:29,278 --> 01:07:32,080
completely omitted
from the process

1180
01:07:32,115 --> 01:07:33,648
just doesn't give us
a lot of faith

1181
01:07:33,683 --> 01:07:36,684
in anything moving forward.

1182
01:07:36,719 --> 01:07:39,520
When you've got
such a prominent intersection

1183
01:07:39,555 --> 01:07:42,723
that is now
such a prominent eyesore,

1184
01:07:42,758 --> 01:07:45,526
it's kind of demotivating
for people.

1185
01:07:45,561 --> 01:07:48,863
Every day, a vast majority
of numbers in people

1186
01:07:48,898 --> 01:07:51,399
in New Orleans East
drive right by it,

1187
01:07:51,434 --> 01:07:52,633
and they just look at it,
and they just--

1188
01:07:52,668 --> 01:07:54,836
it's a remembrance of the past,

1189
01:07:54,871 --> 01:07:56,637
and it's blight.

1190
01:07:56,672 --> 01:07:58,339
Unfortunately, I think
a lot of people

1191
01:07:58,374 --> 01:08:00,508
have given up on it,

1192
01:08:00,543 --> 01:08:03,377
because when Six Flags decided

1193
01:08:03,412 --> 01:08:06,781
just to take insurance money
or whatever they did,

1194
01:08:06,816 --> 01:08:10,384
I really think they were glad
Katrina came along,

1195
01:08:10,419 --> 01:08:11,519
I think they wanted out.

1196
01:08:11,554 --> 01:08:13,421
I think they wanted
to close the park,

1197
01:08:13,456 --> 01:08:16,624
they had already closed
AstroWorld.

1198
01:08:16,659 --> 01:08:19,794
I think this might have been
a way out for them,

1199
01:08:19,829 --> 01:08:23,698
I don't know.

1200
01:08:23,733 --> 01:08:27,568
Honestly, most people
had given up a long time ago

1201
01:08:27,603 --> 01:08:29,804
on the park ever coming back.

1202
01:08:41,584 --> 01:08:45,419
This is where you would come
to purchase tickets,

1203
01:08:45,454 --> 01:08:47,789
groups sales, will call.

1204
01:08:49,825 --> 01:08:52,360
Season ticket holders, I think,

1205
01:08:52,395 --> 01:08:55,897
entered at the other end,
if I remember,

1206
01:08:55,932 --> 01:08:58,166
and if you were buying
just a ticket for the day,

1207
01:08:58,201 --> 01:09:00,701
you would come up here,
and one of these,

1208
01:09:00,736 --> 01:09:02,703
purchase your ticket.

1209
01:09:07,977 --> 01:09:11,579
This was the main street.

1210
01:09:11,614 --> 01:09:14,882
All the gift shops
were along here

1211
01:09:14,917 --> 01:09:16,450
and were air conditioned,

1212
01:09:16,485 --> 01:09:18,586
which was very nice
in the summer.

1213
01:09:23,926 --> 01:09:25,793
This is heartbreaking to see.

1214
01:09:27,597 --> 01:09:31,599
As the graffiti says,
this could have been beautiful,

1215
01:09:31,634 --> 01:09:33,768
and it was very beautiful.

1216
01:09:38,574 --> 01:09:40,875
I'm very sad now.

1217
01:09:40,910 --> 01:09:43,878
We would come
several times a year.

1218
01:09:43,913 --> 01:09:48,383
Had many, many good times
out here.

1219
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:52,921
So here we are at Mega Zeph.

1220
01:09:56,826 --> 01:10:02,797
Obviously, the riders
waited in here

1221
01:10:02,832 --> 01:10:05,600
for Mega Zeph
to come around this way

1222
01:10:05,635 --> 01:10:06,968
and pull up here.

1223
01:10:08,771 --> 01:10:12,506
It is obviously very overgrown

1224
01:10:12,541 --> 01:10:16,211
and...pitiful.

1225
01:10:18,547 --> 01:10:21,482
Jocco used to live
up on top of the building.

1226
01:10:21,517 --> 01:10:24,819
He was this big jester guy

1227
01:10:24,854 --> 01:10:28,923
who would laugh at you
and squirt water on you.

1228
01:10:28,958 --> 01:10:32,627
This is where you lined up,
the queue line here.

1229
01:10:34,764 --> 01:10:37,632
It was a little neater
back then.

1230
01:10:37,667 --> 01:10:39,700
We called it the laser tag ride,

1231
01:10:39,735 --> 01:10:41,535
since I own a laser tag,

1232
01:10:41,570 --> 01:10:44,939
and all my kids
would think of it

1233
01:10:44,974 --> 01:10:46,440
as a laser tag ride,

1234
01:10:46,475 --> 01:10:48,643
because you were actually
shooting targets

1235
01:10:48,678 --> 01:10:52,947
with the guns
that were on the cars.

1236
01:11:15,871 --> 01:11:20,041
This is what was Jocco's ride.

1237
01:11:20,076 --> 01:11:21,575
This is one of the cars

1238
01:11:21,610 --> 01:11:23,010
that has been
completely stripped,

1239
01:11:23,045 --> 01:11:24,912
the guns are gone.

1240
01:11:24,947 --> 01:11:27,982
You earned points by tagging--

1241
01:11:28,017 --> 01:11:29,583
talking laser tag talk--

1242
01:11:29,618 --> 01:11:31,986
by hitting the targets,
you would earn points.

1243
01:11:32,021 --> 01:11:33,587
You got a score on the car.

1244
01:11:33,622 --> 01:11:36,758
You can see
where the screens were.

1245
01:11:38,894 --> 01:11:42,596
And it wound all through here

1246
01:11:42,631 --> 01:11:45,866
with different targets to hit.

1247
01:11:45,901 --> 01:11:49,036
It was very colorful,
minus the graffiti.

1248
01:11:49,071 --> 01:11:51,806
Big fleur-de-lis on the front,
all Mardi Gras colors,

1249
01:11:51,841 --> 01:11:54,608
everything was
Mardi Gras colored.

1250
01:11:54,643 --> 01:11:58,012
There was a gun
to shoot targets here

1251
01:11:58,047 --> 01:12:01,816
and a screen for score.

1252
01:12:01,851 --> 01:12:03,017
This one is still here.

1253
01:12:03,052 --> 01:12:05,753
Mardi Gras--
Jocco's Mardi Gras Madness.

1254
01:12:06,155 --> 01:12:07,922
Hmm.

1255
01:12:07,957 --> 01:12:09,890
Everything's gone.

1256
01:13:37,980 --> 01:13:39,680
Here they come.

1257
01:13:43,252 --> 01:13:47,688
Are you happy at Jazzland
on your first day?

1258
01:13:47,723 --> 01:13:49,457
-Yeah, you?
-Yeah!

1259
01:13:53,762 --> 01:13:55,663
It's devastating, I mean,

1260
01:13:55,698 --> 01:13:58,866
to think that the city
let that park get like that

1261
01:13:58,901 --> 01:14:03,170
over all these years,
it makes me very angry,

1262
01:14:03,205 --> 01:14:04,738
and it's very sad,

1263
01:14:04,773 --> 01:14:06,874
because of
all the memories I have.

1264
01:14:06,909 --> 01:14:08,976
Just remembering all the fun.

1265
01:14:10,779 --> 01:14:12,213
If I would be in the car
with someone else

1266
01:14:12,248 --> 01:14:13,781
and we were driving past it,

1267
01:14:13,816 --> 01:14:15,983
I would be cranking
my head around,

1268
01:14:16,018 --> 01:14:19,820
and, like, looking
at what rides are going, and...

1269
01:14:22,057 --> 01:14:24,992
That was really fun,
just to drive past it.

1270
01:14:25,027 --> 01:14:31,031
But now it's--it's just there.

1271
01:15:22,351 --> 01:15:23,951
I find it very funny still

1272
01:15:23,986 --> 01:15:25,986
that when I drive
to my family's home

1273
01:15:26,021 --> 01:15:29,223
and that sign still says
on there, "Closed for Storm."

1274
01:15:31,226 --> 01:15:34,094
Just kinda like frozen in time,

1275
01:15:34,129 --> 01:15:37,998
a suspended animation element
from that park's past.