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DECADES
Eloy, Arizona (Between Phoenix and Tucson)
New Proposed Theme Park
 New Park - (5/7/09) According to the local news the Decades theme park project may be forced to move away from it’s first chosen location in Eloy to somewhere closer to the heavily populated Phoenix area. This seems to be a requirement from the park’s investors who are unwilling to risk building the park in a more remote location between Phoenix and Tucson.
(12/26/08) The rapid rise and fall of Hard Rock Park in South Carolina has done little to help the Decades theme park project move forward, instead it has raised even more questions about the validity of the concept. For most, the idea that Hard Rock Park could go under go quickly in the middle of the tourist hot-spot like Myrtle Beach, makes them very wary of just how well Decades would fare in the remote location of Eloy, AZ. Funding the project is proving difficult as well under the current economic conditions and it could be several years before they are able to move forward on it. You can read more here.
(11/20/08) Though the economy is in trouble these days, the Decades park is still moving forward at a slow steady pace according to this article. They claim that the slowdown will benefit the park, allowing more time in advance for planning and development and even says that it will still be likely 5-7 years before the park will open.
(7/23/08) Some fun details about the development ideas for the Decade theme park can be read at ThemeParkNewsDirect. I really like the idea they have for the front gate of the park, themed to have two large towers, each armed with a large cannon on top. Every morning just as the park is about to open they will play AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” and fire the cannons.
(6/30/08) The Governor of Arizona has now signed the new law that will help get the Decades theme park project off the ground.
(6/25/08) The Arizona senate has given approval to a new bill that help finance the Decades theme park project in Eloy if the developers can raise $100 million on their own as well as secure financial guarantees for an additional $750 million bond to be paid back by taxes from the special entertainment district. The bill was approved by a 17 to 9 vote.
(6/11/08) According to the local news, state legislators are being advised that the government and taxpayers will not be liable for the revenue bonds used to finance the new Decades theme park if it should fail. The bill requires that the park’s backers raise $100 million and secure guarantees for the $750 million in bonds that would be repaid from taxes generated from the park. The final legislation is waiting for a vote from the Senate before it’s sent to the Governor.
(4/30/08) Good news for the Decades theme park as the bill that would allow the project to receive public bond financing was approved in a preliminary vote on Tuesday and moves on to a final vote by the state House. Once approved by the House it would move on to the Governor for final approval.
(11/9/07) A new theme park has been proposed for Arizona called Decades that is pitching a very cool rock ‘n roll music theme to it. The park is eyeballing a site in Eloy, a town between Arizona and Tucson, and will have several lands, each themed to a different decade of rock music from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s in the first phase and 90s being planned as an add-on. The artwork on the official website is a little rough, but if you take the time to really look at it up close, you’ll see a lot of great ideas in there… the kind of things I thought would have been included in Hard Rock Park but weren’t.
I’m talking about more fun pop-culture ideas for the rides like the “Love Rollercoaster”, an AC/DC Thunderstruck coaster, the Crazy Train, Welcome to the Jungle flume ride, Welcome to my Nightmare haunted house, the Hotel California log flume, Green River, Riders on the Storm, an image of Dr. Doom’s Fearfall redecorated as Aerosmith’s Love in an Elevator and more. Lots of water and water rides in this park, which is a must for any park in Arizona I’m sure, so lets hope for the best. Check out the website and show your support. If all goes well they would like to open the park by 2012. You can read more about it here and I hope to have more details soon!
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