LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Kingdom says plans for a new roller coaster are back on track.
One day after the park's owner Ed Hart called out the Kentucky State Fair Board, a statement from the park said the board granted its request for one acre of expansion property. That property will be used for Kentucky Kingdom's sixth roller coaster, the Kentucky Flyer, which is scheduled to open at the start of the 2019 season.
In a statement, Hart thanked Gov. Matt Bevin for helping "cut through the paperwork" to come to terms.
“I want to thank Governor Bevin and Secretary Landrum of the Finance and Administration Cabinet for making arrangements to cut through the paperwork necessary for Kentucky Kingdom and the Fair Board to come to terms. Of course, Kentucky Kingdom will provide, if it hasn’t already, all the information the Fair Board has requested. With that assurance, we’ve been given the green light to proceed. I am happy to declare that the Kentucky Flyer is on track for a 2019 grand opening. Clearly, this is an example of Governor Bevin and his administration cutting through the type of “red tape” that can hinder economic development in the Commonwealth.”
On Tuesday, Hart held a news conference detailing a dispute with the Fair Board over parking. Hart said the park's landlord had used what he called "red tape and intimidation" to try to force the park to drop a lawsuit over parking.
Standing in front of a mound of dirt and heavy equipment, Hart said the board told them to stop construction on the coaster hours after meeting in court over a lawsuit filed by Kentucky Kingdom over parking. Hart said their lease grants guests 19,000 parking spaces on a first-come-first-served basis. But he said during big events like the Kentucky State Fair, the board gives priority to exhibitors and limits access for park guests.
Hart claimed that the Fair Board was using land needed for the coaster as a bargaining chip for getting the park to drop its lawsuit. The lawsuit doesn't seek damages, but it does seek a clarification of what rights the park has to guest parking.
Kentucky Kingdom's latest statement did not mention the parking lawsuit or whether it has been resolved.
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