2 Sweet Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 A major sports-and-entertainment attraction is coming to Delaware County, designed to draw visitors from a multistate region. If the 350-acre project is fully developed as planned, Planet Oasis will be similar in size to the Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati and will offer more than two dozen wide-ranging attractions, including a saltwater lake as big as 20 acres with a sand beach. The $2 billion park, planned for a site adjacent to the Tanger Outlet mall on the east side of I-71, also is to include indoor skydiving, go-kart racing, rock climbing, an indoor water park, skate park, BMX racing, e-sports and other attractions. It also would have a wellness center, hotels, a conference center and at least 70 restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining. “We call this the ultimate entertainment experience,” said developer David Glimcher, saying the “huge, immense” development can be hard to grasp at first. “We live in a high-tension, high-anxiety world. This is an escape from the reality of everyday life. Whatever relaxation and enjoyment means for you, we have that. Even the dining options will be experiential,” he said. Nearly 100 people gathered for the announcement Thursday morning at A.D. Farrow Harley Davidson, located next to the proposed development and near the Rts. 36/37 exit from I-71. Speaking along with Glimcher and Lenni Male of lead developer Blue Horseshoe Ventures were representatives of what are to be several of Planet Oasis’ partner facilities and attractions, in addition to officials from Delaware County and Berkshire Township. “So many varied experiences in one area will be a magnet for 100 million people within a five-hour drive to unwind and enjoy adventures together,” said Matt MacLaren, director of Ohio Tourism. Glimcher, who formerly headed Glimcher Realty Trust, which developed Polaris Fashion Place, sees Planet Oasis drawing visitors from as far away as a five- or six-hour drive. He called the development “the biggest project in Ohio for the past 40 or 50 years.” “It’s a real crossroads ... with proximity to 105 million people within 425 miles,” Glimcher said. He added that’s more than double the population within the same radius of Orlando and Los Angeles, for example. UltraStar Multi-tainment Centers, which has locations in Arizona and North Carolina, will be among the partners in the project’s first phase. The 200,000-square-foot entertainment center is to include bowling, virtual golf, video games and a specialty movie theater. Brandon Lowery, principal in the Action Sports Agency, said his company’s attractions at Planet Oasis will add “beach culture” to the site with skateboarding and surfing, while offering “traveling events featuring major action-sports celebrities.” Performing arts also will be part of the mix: Glimcher said a 500-seat amphitheater is planned, with programming handled in partnership with two leading live-entertainment companies, the Nederlander Organization and Live Nation. Mary Jo Ruggieri and James Yiannios, two experienced executives in the natural health and wellness industry, have been tapped to run the Bloom Health and Wellness center as part of Planet Oasis. In addition to offering services from massage and acupuncture to nutritional consulting, Yiannios plans to open a lab that could develop new treatments and supplements that could be brought to market, he said. One issue the developers may face is that the infrastructure in the immediate area hasn’t kept pace with the quick growth of Ohio’s fastest-growing county. Glimcher says he plans to begin construction in December, with a late 2019 opening date for the first 40 percent of the development. But Thom Slack, capital programs administrator for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s central Ohio district, said ODOT has not yet received the required traffic-impact study from the developers and has had only one meeting with Delaware County officials about the project. After a study is submitted, Slack said, a public comment period is required, along with a discussion of the timing and financing of any necessary road improvements. For example, the Tanger Outlet mall is contributing $10 million toward the first phase of I-71 work that will add a new exit less than a mile south of the Rts. 36/37 interchange. The start date for that work has been pushed back from 2018 to at least 2019, Slack said. Asked about the process with ODOT, Glimcher said his team of traffic and civil engineers has attended several meetings with ODOT and think that current improvements planned at Rts. 36/37, as well as the new I-71 ramp, will be adequate to serve the initial phases of the Planet Oasis development. Infrastructure concerns didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Glimcher and local officials for the Planet Oasis project, which Glimcher says will generate at least 15,000 jobs when fully built. Berkshire Township Trustee Bill Holtry said the tax revenue will be a boon to local schools, which include the Olentangy and Big Walnut districts. Delaware County Commissioner Gary Merrell donned a Planet Oasis baseball cap and proclaimed to the crowd: “Let’s go.” The development taps into several growth areas that have become proven draws in places across the country. For example, the National Sports Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Blaine has become a multistate magnet for youth team sports over the past 28 years, said Barclay Kruse, the center’s communication chief. “There’s kind of an arms race for these kinds of facilities now,” Kruse said. He pointed to the huge growth of youth sports and the growing recognition in communities across the country of the economic-development potential in amateur sports. Kruse said Planet Oasis’ emphasis on edgy and up-and-coming sports such as BMX, surfing and rock climbing might be a good niche. But he cautioned that most of the successful indoor sports mega-complexes, his included, start out unencumbered by any debt related to land acquisition or construction costs. The state of Minnesota helped fund construction of his complex that is now self-sustaining. Jim Klein, a veteran entertainment and marketing executive for film studios and museum operators who now lives in New Albany, said Planet Oasis’ large scale and emphasis on ever-changing “experiential” entertainment is in tune with trends and forecasts. “Millennials want bigger, better, immersive experiences,” Klein said. Klein said he’s become a big fan of Columbus after years of living in the country’s largest cities, such as Los Angeles. He said central Ohio’s close proximity to such a large population works in its favor because theme parks and other attractions rely on frequency of visits. “You need critical mass to drive repeat visits,” Klein said. “If you have so much to do and it’s always changing, you can keep people coming back.” http://www.dispatch.com/business/20180628/2-billion-entertainment-recreation-complex-planned-near-tanger-outlet-near-sunbury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 They havent submitted any plans to Berkshire Township and own no land. I'll believe it when I see it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 My wife was just telling me about this a few days ago, apparently it is the buzz in commercial real estate circles. The rumor is that they already have the land locked down but not sure how - speculation is through shell company purchasing and leases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Well there's strikes one and two right there. But I like the idea. Better than that area just becoming a walmart surrounded by out-parcels like anywhere else. Something more 'planned' would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTaylor751647545500 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 I drive from Delaware to New Albany for work most of the time using Rt 37. IF this goes in, it's gonna suck in an area where the traffic already is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/28/billion-dollar-plus-amusement-park-planned-on-350.html Blue Horseshoe has all 350 acres under its control, Glimcher said, and the entire project area is already in a tax-increment financing district with a joint economic development agreement set up for the Tanger Outlet Mall, which opened in 2016. If you go to the deleware auditor's site, the parcels in question all seemed to be owned by individuals/small businesses, but I didnt' have the chance yet to pull the sales dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 I drive from Delaware to New Albany for work most of the time using Rt 37. IF this goes in, it's gonna suck in an area where the traffic already is bad. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/07/04/what-planet-oasis-could-do-to-traffic-in-delaware.html he 350-acre Planet Oasis entertainment complex is likely to bring a heavy load of new traffic to I-71 in Delaware County. But two major interchange projects are already in the works to provide relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/06/28/billion-dollar-plus-amusement-park-planned-on-350.html If you go to the deleware auditor's site, the parcels in question all seemed to be owned by individuals/small businesses, but I didnt' have the chance yet to pull the sales dates. 90's and early 2000's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 The Berkshire Twp Assistant Zoning Inspector Dave Meade said that they do not have any controlling ownership in any of the parcels, they have not submitted any plans whatsoever to zoning, and they have not spoken with the township about their plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 The Berkshire Twp Assistant Zoning Inspector Dave Meade said that they do not have any controlling ownership in any of the parcels, they have not submitted any plans whatsoever to zoning, and they have not spoken with the township about their plans. Sounds like leases then. If they haven't submitted plans to zoning before making the announcement, then it's going to get real interesting when those plans come through. Only thing I can think of is they want to drum up investment interest through public announcement because their financing isn't all in place yet. Sounds like ODOT is aware though and anticipating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Sounds like leases then. If they haven't submitted plans to zoning before making the announcement, then it's going to get real interesting when those plans come through. Only thing I can think of is they want to drum up investment interest through public announcement because their financing isn't all in place yet. Sounds like ODOT is aware though and anticipating. That's pretty much Berkshire Township's take on it currently. The announcement was about obtaining money, not about actually launching the physical development. And most likely the "control" is purchase agreements that are contingent on the zoning and development being approved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 All the land is still zoned A1. While it is in the PMUD which will make the rezoning easier, it still has to happen, which hasn't even started yet, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeto67 Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 so the remaining question is....do people WANT this development? It sounds like it has some ground swell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 We just moved up into Northstar and I am mixed about the development. As long as the majority of the development stays to the south of 37 I would be pretty happy with the increased revenue to the township and property values frankly. Traffic infrastructure is a concern but ODOT already has and exit starting 1 mile south of 36/37 in 2019 and this plan may impact the scope of that. Oasis already submitted some requests info to ODOT and I read this morning traffic studies are underway. The township wants something there. Something large scale will go there in the near future that to me is the forgone conclusion. Deciphering what will be the question, I believe this Oasis deal was a shoot for the moon, then once it is scaled down will be what they wanted all along. I will note that the whole were breaking ground in 6 month's is a load of horse doo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceGhost Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 For everyone worried about traffic, ODOT has a plan and is moving forward with this even if this thing isn’t built. https://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D06/projects/71/Documents/July%202017%20Public%20Hearing/Scroll%20-%20Preferred%20Alternative%20-%202017-07-10.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 That is a dry area. Hope they're able to get a liquor license. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 This is end up being like Lazer Zone off 71 and Sinclair. No way will this work. No one in the entertainment industry thinks It will either. Plus, its run by a bunch of idiots. Watch the promo video below. Its the most ambitious, incoherent load of shit I've ever seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzn11ySsfNE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 This is end up being like Lazer Zone off 71 and Sinclair. No way will this work. No one in the entertainment industry thinks It will either. Plus, its run by a bunch of idiots. Watch the promo video below. Its the most ambitious, incoherent load of shit I've ever seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzn11ySsfNE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwashmycar Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 For everyone worried about traffic, ODOT has a plan and is moving forward with this even if this thing isn’t built. https://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D06/projects/71/Documents/July%202017%20Public%20Hearing/Scroll%20-%20Preferred%20Alternative%20-%202017-07-10.pdf I was really hoping for an exit more south, like somewhere between Big Walnut and Cheshire....but I guess that is ok too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 oh cool the video says they're going to have bars.. so there's that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Thats exactly what I though when I saw the video lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh8sti Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 BMX Park - Butterfly Museum - What the Fuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 BMX Park - Butterfly Museum - What the Fuck As long as the COTA bus doesn't run there I think they will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceGhost Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 I was really hoping for an exit more south, like somewhere between Big Walnut and Cheshire....but I guess that is ok too. That is still in the works, the Big Walnut exit is where they are looking to put one also. It’s just not part of that project, it is it’s own project. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.