The former Cypress Gardens theme park near Tampa will reopen as Legoland Florida in 2011, its new owner announced today.
Merlin Entertainments, the British-based operator of Legoland theme parks, says it will open the new Legoland Florida on 100 acres of the Cypress Gardens site in 2011. At the same time, it will reopen the now-closed Splash Island water park.
Nick Varney, Merlin Entertainments' CEO, said the theme park would contain 40 to 50 attractions, rides and displays. The displays in Legoland theme parks are all constructed out of the familiar interlocking plastic Lego construction blocks that are popular worldwide.
Merlin had reportedly been scouting several sites in Central Florida for a second U.S. Legoland to join the one it already operates in Carlsbad, Calif. It purchased the Cypress Gardens site Jan. 15 for $22.3 million. Cypress Gardens is in Winter Haven, near Tampa.
Merlin officials stated that the complex would be a destination resort with hotels, but offered no details on their number or size. The company also said it was interested in partnering with other attractions, but no partnerships are in place yet. The company estimates that the reopened theme park would add 1,000 jobs to the Tampa Bay area economy.
Legoland Florida would be the fifth Legoland worldwide. Besides Legoland in California, other Legoland parks are located in Denmark, England and Germany.
Merlin Entertainments is a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group, a New York-based private equity firm that also owns theme parks in Florida and elsewhere. Besides the Legolands, Merlin operates Thorpe Park and Sea Life in the United Kingdom.
Cypress Gardens is one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions, famed for its water skiing shows, gardens, rides and zoo. The theme parks closed in September 2009. The gardens at Cypress Gardens are owned by Polk County, Florida, and will continue to operate separately.
Written by Sandy Smith
For HULIQ.com
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