Medina County’s Chippewa Lake Park, known to some as a relentlessly creepy abandoned amusement park and to others as a northeast Ohio landmark, rich with the memories of yesteryear, may be getting a makeover.
The folks at Flying Cages LLC, a Cleveland-based real estate development company, have drawn up plans to transform the long-dormant amusement park grounds into a three-season outdoor concert venue complex- think a mini Blossom Music Center- complete with 30 acres of wooded campgrounds and open-air markets with space for over 100 vendors.
Between pavilion and lawn seating, the music complex would house some 8,000 visitors and would ideally draw big-name national acts, comparable to those who perform at Blossom.
“We’re not just reviving the park and bringing back the live music, we’re going to restore the beautiful land and contribute to its surrounding communities while preserving a legacy,” Flying Cages President Scott Jones said. Jones is also President of the Cleveland music and entertainment group Jerry Bruno Productions.
While Flying Cages has developed a fairly extensive business plan, the company is still in the early stages of finding investors to fund the project.
Between purchasing the land and renovating it, Jones told Scene the company is looking at “a $5 million endeavor,” the sum of which “we just don’t have.”
He said he has gotten a few bites, but that he’ll need to bring more secure funding on board before ground can be broken.
Jones, who has family ties to the Chippewa Lake Amusement Park (his parents actually met there), said he’s keen to preserve the few still-standing attractions- namely the Ferris wheel and the Flying Cages ride- as mementos of the past.
In the future, he would even like to install a working carousel or Ferris wheel as homage to the space.
You can check out the development plans here, and leave your vehement yays or nays to Jones’ plans below.
Now See: A Look Back at Chippewa Lake Amusement Park>>
This article appears in Oct 9-15, 2013.
This would be so cool…excited. Wishing I had a couple million to get in on the ground floor.
Would be great … hope funding comes rolling in to bankroll the project.
Chippewa lake’s residents have a strong pride in the areas past and present. This would be so crucial to the betterment of the area and surrounding areas. This news has been circulated all over social media, as proof of the excitement all of us feel about the possibility of this development. Quite a few of us are speculative that this is another pipe dream, as this has been proposed before in a few different ways. Fingers crossed, something happens soon to give the community a much needed face-lift!
Have they thought about doing a kickstarter? Give out memberships in exchange for donating.
my dad {Herman Gerber] used to run that ferris wheel and on the 4th of July would bring us to the top so we could watch the fireworks. many memories of that park.
What about all the rednecks and hillbilly that live there. Its gunna cost a lot more that 5 mil just to get rid of them!
I live back in the park and have for 3 years…my father used to visit the park, I think it’s a great thing to do..build the land up…but I don’t think a concert venue would be so good. Chippewa Lake is ag small community with many children. I think noise and traffic would kill this town.
We are not rednecks and hillbillies
I live right next to the park. Its quiet and peaceful i enjoy the rustic atmosphere. Im sure they will just have to work around us ” hillbillies ” then because we have already stated we are not leaving
I, as well as Terra and Brandy, live in the park as well for the past 3 years now and enjoy the laid back living we have grown accustomed to. Although I am all for Chippewa Lake Park to be reborn, I just hope that consideration will be given to those of us who live here! (Like lifetime passes to all the events would be great!)
I’m lovin this idea!
Miron Kusnecov: Chippewa Lake Park is in Medina County, the fastest growing and most desired county in the state. The “rednecks and hillbillys” are no longer there along with The Red Garter bar. My concern would be accessing the park which was an issue back in the ’60s and early ’70s and the millions that would be required to widen the roads. Now, with the absence of the park it is smooth sailing thru a very quiet Chippewa Lake. Judi Villoni: It sounds like you want “lake access” back.
I worked at Chippewa lake Park in 69 70 & 71 and I would like to see something done with it. The funniest summer of my life was the summer of 1970 working at the park.
Umm billy bond, have you been to the township of Chippewa lake? Its full of hillbillys, rednecks and drugs. Its the white mans ghetto. However, I’d love to see the land in which I grew up restored to a prosperous beautiful family friendly community that I’ve always heard the elders talk of.
The surrounding community is beautiful, quiet, and very protective. I have a hard time believing this will get a green light. I, however, would love to attend a concert there, sounds like a great way to bring $$ into a community.
Good luck. The local infrastructure cannot support the burden on water, sewer, and power requirements. It’s a shame, though. The place could use a shot in the arm. My daughter’s matriarchal family grew up there for generations. My late wife is scattered in the lake. We still have property there. But the locals will resist change. Hell, I’d like to see it happen. Worked concerts for 22 years, I’d love to have the place to work!