Bell’s no longer coming to Broken Arrow, owner hopes to sell property
Bell's Amusement Park operated in Tulsa for 55 years before closing in 2006. The park was known for its large wooden roller coaster
By Jennifer Maupin
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BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma (KJRH) — The City of Broken Arrow announced Wednesday that the Bell’s Amusement Park, announced in Nov. 2021, is no longer coming to town.
City management said Santa Cruz Seaside Company told them it will not pursue the development of the 102 acres of land it currently owns near the Creek Turnpike and East Kenosha Street.
“We believe that the property is in a desirable location with attractive development potential. We also believe that entertainment focused development, to possibly include an amusement park, could be successful at this location,” said Karl J. Rice, President and CEO of Santa Cruz Seaside Company in an email to City Manager Michael Spurgeon. “My company has been focused for most of the last year on other projects within our portfolio and we have now made the decision to try to sell the 102-acre property.” The announcement brought mixed reactions from local residents, with some complaining that it would increase traffic.
While the news of Bell’s Amusement Park made headlines in Broken Arrow and Tulsa and announced by the park itself on its Facebook, the city says Santa Cruz Seaside Company never submitted an application for any kind of development on the property.
The company plans to list the property for sale soon through a local realtor, the city said.
“I appreciate the kind words Mr. Rice said about our city in his email and given the community-wide interest in this site, I also appreciate him notifying me about his company’s decision to sell the property,” said Mr. Spurgeon. “I look forward to the day when a development application for this property is brought before the city to review so staff can thoroughly evaluate the potential impacts a valid proposal would have on our community.”
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