A fire broke out Saturday at the former site of Six Flags New Orleans as motorists and local residents spotted flames rising from the remains of the Mega Zeph roller coaster. According to The New Orleans Advocate, the leader of the redevelopment project Troy Henry has stated that the fire was caused by sparks work done by the site’s demolition crews.
“That old roller coaster is a combination of steel and wood, which gave it that old clackety clack sound,” Henry said. “As workers were cutting some of the steel away, some of the wood caught fire. They have isolated it, and it is not a threat.”
Henry went on to say that the affected section was scheduled to be submerged in a nearby lake.
“People saw the fire last night and called it in, but it’s far away from anything, and workers are on it, cutting away that section now. They’re going to get it doused. It’s not a big deal, but it is part of the dangerous demolition process.”
After demolition is complete, the land will be repurposed as an “all-inclusive, master development community” called Bayou Phoenix.
The decaying remains of Six Flags New Orleans, which closed permanently in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, are finally being demolished, according to the Associated Press. Opened as Jazzland in 2000, the amusement park was converted to a Six Flags location in 2003 after the company invested $20 million into upgrades for the park. The AP reports that New Orleans-based Smoot Construction has been contracted to handle the demolition of the site, with the takedown of the park’s “unsalvageable structures” already underway.
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“It’s a good thing. It’s a happy day,” developer Troy Henry told the Associated Press. “We’re excited about the progress, we’re happy to see the ball rolling.”
Proposals for use of the park’s land include “a warehouse and distribution center, an educational facility run by a local nonprofit called STEM NOLA, a water park, hotel, esports arena and a movie studio.”
Henry tells the AP that additional information regarding the project are scheduled to be revealed on November 12.
