After further review, Wednesday’s bombshell announcement from a Florida gaming group that they’d like to reopen Wild West World isn’t quite so shocking – in context.
But if the Wild West World story teaches us anything, it’s not to count our overpriced stale corn dogs before they’re fried to the consistency of the asphalt under our feet.
It’s pretty clear, I think, that Alan Ginsburg’s AHG Group agreed to buy the park Wednesday with an eye toward gaming, and a willingness to put a bunch of entertainment pieces like an amusement park in place while gambling winds its way through the local political maze. So maybe one can conclude that Wichita isn’t an entertainment loser.
Or maybe not.
The sale contract hasn’t been filed and signed with U.S. Bankruptcy Court, as of this writing. That’s because the deal Thomas Etheredge assembled is a complicated mess, thanks to the one thing he did consistently as he built the park – look for the cheapest route possible. It’s not easy to sell a parking lot to a savvy real estate buyer on “payments only” terms.
No real reason to doubt Ginsburg’s interest. But don’t put all your chips on the Floridians quite yet. This deal isn’t going to be over until the final buzzer.