 n February of this year, we announced developers were considering building a large amusement park along Omaha's riverfront. It now looks like Council Bluffs will be the lucky recipient of this new attraction.
Steven Minard, president of Metro Omaha Theme Park L.L.C., a subsidiary of Papa's Park L.L.C of Alta, announced this week that they are in the process of purchasing land on the other side of the river for the project. The location consists of 76 acres east of South 24th Street, north of the South Omaha Bridge Road and adjacent to Indian Creek. The company is also considering purchasing an additional 50 acres that could be used later for expansion.
If Council Bluffs city officials approve the plan, construction could begin later this summer and be opened to the public sometime next year. The park will consist of both an outdoor area and a large indoor section with rides, restaurants and retail so that it can be open year-round. It will be larger than
Kansas City's Oceans of Fun.
Outdoor attractions would include thrill rides, family rides, shows, retail, games and food service. Although there will be some water rides in the park, it will not be a water park. There is already a proposal being considered to build a water park near the Mid-America Recreation and Convention Complex. Some city officials believe the two parks could co-exist with each other and offer a situation similar to Kansas City's Oceans of Fun and Worlds of Fun.
Total cost for the project is expected to be between $50 million and $70 million. Up to 400 seasonal and non-seasonal employees could be hired within three years. The park will be continuously expanded over a five-year period.
Some of the reasons given for building the amusement park in Council Bluffs instead of Omaha are that the location would be near where I-80 and I-29 intersect, there's more ground available for expansion and there are already other entertainment venues being built in the area.
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