LJWorld.com / Oz project developed over 15 years

Archive for Monday, November 6, 2000

The Associated Press

November 6, 2000

It's been a long and winding road for the Oz Entertainment Co.'s proposal to build the Wonderful World of Oz at the former Sunflower Army Ammunition plant. Some key dates:

1985: David Landis of Overland Park proposed building The Emerald City in the Land of Oz, a 65-acre, $20 million theme park in Lenexa.

First Phase: At 1,750 acres, it would include the theme park and the Emerald Resort, which would have two hotels, a golf course, a lake, a recreational vehicle park, a multiplex cinema, restaurants, a water park, and a technology office complex.

The Wonderful World of Oz: The theme park would have 30 rides, shows and attractions, 30 games, 29 food service locations and 24 individual retail locations. The five theme "lands" in the park would be Old Kansas, Yellow Brick Country, Munchkinland, the Emerald City and the Haunted Forest.

Second Phase: Another 1,750 acres of the 9,065 Oz Entertainment Co. would be used for resort and entertainment development, although no definitive plan has been presented.

Other Land: Some 2,737 acres would be mixed-use development of residential and commercial use. Local public agencies would receive about 2,828 acres.

1986: Landis abandoned his effort in part because of a lack of interest and investors.

1990: Burton M. Stonefield of Overland Park, approached Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., officials with a proposal nearly identical to Landis' for a park to be called The Emerald City. Those plans fell through when it was discovered that Stonefield was facing state felony charges of securities fraud.

November 1991: KC Theme Park Inc., which later became Oz Entertainment Co., announced a plan to develop a 550-acre theme park called the Land of Oz. The proposal gained the support of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., officials, who give about $600,000 in grants for planning and studies.

February 1993: Former Kansas Lt. Gov. Dave Owen, chairman and chief executive officer of Oz, was convicted of income tax fraud involving 1986 returns.

May 1993: Oz restructured to eliminate Owen. Robert Kory became chairman and CEO.

June 1997: The Army announced it would sell the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant near DeSoto.

January 1998: Oz announced it was looking at buying the former plant for the proposed theme park, as a proposed auto speedway in Wyandotte County began gaining ground. The proposed park would have been near the speedway.

May 1998: A bill that would clear the way for Oz to develop the theme park at the plant passed the state Legislature.

September 1998: Negotiations began on the deal that would transfer the plant from the federal government to the state to Oz.

June 2000: The General Services Administration announced a "provisional" agreement had been struck governing the transfer of the land.

August 2000: The Johnson County Board of Commissioners began reviewing the deal. Their approval is necessary for development to proceed. A vote is scheduled for today.

May 2003: Developers expect the theme park to be open. Kory has said groundbreaking could begin within six to nine months after the approval process ends. Cleanup would take 12 years, but would begin with the theme-park area.