AURORA, Ohio — Calling it an "opportunity of a lifetime," the city of Aurora is proposing to buy Geauga Lake as well as 40 acres of lakefront land that once was the home of SeaWorld Ohio, but has been dormant since the park closed.
The proposal, which would see the city pay $4.5 million to Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP), calls for the property to be redeveloped into a public park with a pool, beach and much more.
"This is a great day for our community," Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin told Council during Monday night's meeting. "And long in coming in the history of our storied past with Geauga Lake amusement park and Sea World."
Under the purchase agreement, ICP will build a "lake loop" trail/boardwalk around Geauga Lake, which the city will then own and maintain. The company will also pay for a "substantial portion" of the demolition cost of some of the remaining structures on the land being acquired.
Womer Benjamin did note that some of the structures from the former SeaWorld Ohio, including its iconic aquarium, may be saved and rehabilitated for use in the city's plans. The aquarium, for example, may be redeveloped as a restaurant or similar facility.
You can see renderings of the city's plans below:
The city will use $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the acquisition, with the remainder of the money coming out of budgeted general funds. "Taxes will not increase to pay for this property," Womer Benjamin stressed.
ICP bought the 377 acres that had been the home of Geauga Lake Amusement Park and SeaWorld Ohio in 2020. The property actually touches both Aurora in Portage County and Bainbridge Township in Geauga County. The two communities established a tax-sharing agreement.
Some of the redevelopment done on the Aurora side of the land includes a new Liberty Ford dealership and the Renaissance Park at Geauga Lake development from Pulte Homes.
SeaWorld Ohio became the property of Six Flags Ohio in 2001. When Cedar Fair purchased the land a few years later, a sliver of the former SeaWorld space was transformed into the Wildwater Kingdom water park.
Fast forward to 2007, Geauga Lake Amusement Park closed after 120 years in operation, leaving behind only the water park.
Wildwater Kingdom, which used the same main entrance as SeaWorld, was shuttered in September 2016.
Womer Benjamin says this new acquisition by the city of Aurora will focus on the beauty and history of Geauga Lake and the surrounding area. "The lake has been a recreational attraction of the community for decades, and to lose access when the parks closed was certainly disappointing. To reinstitute lake access coupled with a park and recreational amenities will enhance the overall community and enable the public to enjoy a beautiful area of Northeast Ohio. Furthermore, instead of housing units, we will have greenspace."
Aurora City Council held its first reading of the legislation on Monday. There will be a second reading on June 26. Site work on the property would be expected to begin within 12 months after demolition is completed.
"We expect to tackle this project in stages," Womer Benjamin added.