(No) Update (yet) on Future Oz Park

[Up_Up_and_Away]

At least it's not dead in the water!

 

From the Niagara Gazette:

 

WHEATFIELD: Little talk expected on Oz project in near future

By Dave Hill/hilld@gnnewspaper.com

Niagara Gazette

 

The folks working on the Oz Theme Park in Wheatfield have kept a pretty low profile recently and it appears it'll remain that way until there's a major announcement.

 

Town officials say things are progressing while Oz Central, the group that owns the rights to the estate of the L. Frank Baum Family Trust, continues with the environmental impact statement, a massive document that will detail any potentially adverse effects the park will have on the surrounding neighborhood.

 

When will a major announcement on the 800-acre project come? Not anytime soon.

 

"We're certainly not talking a year or two down the road, but I don't think we're talking tomorrow or the next day, either," Town Attorney Bob O'Toole said when asked about a time frame.

 

He said the town meets regularly with Oz representatives and that large portions of the environmental impact statement are complete. Oz developers also recently submitted a drainage report to the town.

 

However, Oz officials still need to hammer out several details, such as how much and what type of assistance the project might receive. "To date, they have not asked for or received anything from the state, town or county," O'Toole said, adding, "the town will help in any way that we can to move it along."

 

An Oz Central spokesman commented only briefly on the situation Monday. John Simon said they are still in the process of completing the environmental review. "We're totally at the mercy of the various state and federal regulations," he said, adding that the organization does not have any additional comment.

 

O'Toole said Oz developers have chosen to work on the project quietly and behind the scenes rather than doing their development in the media and making public statements every step of the way.