Volume 2, No. 23. December 13, 2002
Gardens
pickings
Another venerable
industry institution is in the thick of swirling rumors of expansion, but is
none too keen about being so. Cypress Gardens near Winter Haven, Florida, is
planning to add a new Natural Structures enclosed tube slide to its 2-year-old
water park and is expanding its concert series for 2003. These are not the expansion
plans making headlines around Central Florida, however.
Instead, the media has focused on the potential, stated by the owners, that
some of the 66-year-old park’s unused property might be used for residential
development. The rumors began when well-known land developer Larry Maxwell purchased
an equity interest in the park in October 2001. Broached about the potential
of turning the park into a real estate gold mine, Cypress Gardens CEO Bill Reynolds
did not deny the possibility, and in fact noted that the owners would soon begin
exploring such options.
Suddenly, Cypress Gardens entered the endangered species list in the minds of
Central Floridians, much to its own chagrin. “Our first love is Cypress
Gardens,” said Will Reynolds, Bill's son and the park’s director who
heads up the park’s marketing efforts. “I don’t want this information
construed the wrong way. We’re trying to focus on tourism. We’re trying
to get tourism through our doors, not focus on land development.”
With tourism in Central Florida sagging the past two years—Will Reynolds
said Cypress Gardens attendance was down 12 percent, but “we’re doing
pretty decent, better than other businesses, in light of what has happened the
last year and a half,”—the park’s owners simply want a ready
option should the slide continue. With the park utilizing only 90 acres, that
leaves 130 acres of prime Florida real estate available for whatever use.
“We want to make sure we have a plan in the future,” Will Reynolds
said. “I’m not telling you we’re going to build. I’m not
telling you we’re not going to build. We don’t know yet. We’re
just now starting to wake up and say, ‘What are some of our options?’
Tourism is tough. We’re trying to make sure we don’t put all our eggs
in one basket.”
Of one thing he is certain. Even if some of those eggs eventually move to another
basket, the garden spot with its boat rides, Southern Belles, ski show, growing
waterpark and new entertainment series will continue to carry the larger load
for many years to come.
©2002, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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