Premier Parks, LLC

Last updated

Premier Parks, LLC
Company type Private
IndustryAmusement park operator
Founded2009;15 years ago (2009)
FoundersKieran Burke and Gary Story
Headquarters Oklahoma City,
United States
Area served
United States, Canada
Key people
Kieran Burke (CEO)
Susan Hughes (CFO)
Website premierparks.com

Premier Parks, LLC (formerly Rapids Holdings, LLC and Premier Attractions Management, LLC) is a limited liability company based in the United States. The company owns and operates several amusement parks and water parks across the country and one in Canada.

Contents

History

Kieran Burke and Gary Story previously held the positions of chief executive officer and chief operating officer at Six Flags for more than 10 years. In November 2009, the pair purchased Nashville Shores, consisting of a marina, RV park and water park. They redeveloped the water park for the 2010 season. In early 2011, it was announced the pair had purchased the Ocean Breeze Waterpark in Virginia with plans to renovate it for the 2011 season. [1]

In 2011, the newly founded Premier Attractions Management began operating three properties owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties: Frontier City, SplashTown Houston, and White Water Bay [2] CNL Lifestyle Properties had terminated its lease agreements with PARC Management for eight parks in late 2010. [3] Burke and Story have since gained operational control of additional parks owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties. [4] [5] In 2013, the company changed its name to Premier Parks, LLC taking the former corporate name of the company that had acquired and took the name of Six Flags. [6]

In late 2016, CNL Lifestyle Properties sold their attractions portfolio to EPR Properties. [7] Upon this transaction, EPR transferred management of these parks to Premier Parks, LLC, including ones previously operated by different groups. [8]

In May 2017, operations of Waterworld California were transferred to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which had previously owned the park and also own the nearby Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. [9] In May 2018, Six Flags announced that they had entered into a purchase agreement with Premier Parks to acquire the lease rights to operate 5 additional parks: Darien Lake, Frontier City, Wet'n'Wild Phoenix, Wet'n'Wild SplashTown, and White Water Bay. [10]

Properties

Full Ownership

Operated for EPR Properties

Operated for Kroenke Entertainment

Operated for Bowlero Corporation

Former properties

Full Ownership

Operated for EPR Properties

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References

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  3. "CNL Lifestyle Properties and PARC Management End Lease Relationship" (PDF) (Press release). CNL Lifestyle Properties. November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Silverstein, Stephanie (November 21, 2013). "Premier Parks to take over operation of Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "CNL Lifestyle Properties acquires one of south Florida's largest water parks" (PDF) (Press release). CNL Lifestyle Properties. July 2, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Wet'n'Wild Phoenix, Hawaii to Add accesso eCommerce, Mobile Ticketing" (Press release). Premier Parks LLC. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  7. "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF). Retrieved January 21, 2017 via EPR Properties.
  8. "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF).
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