Georgia company ends bid for Alabama park

A Georgia company said it was ending its bid to purchase the taxpayer-backed VisionLand theme park, which is bankrupt and about $100 million in debt.<br> <br> Officials with Valdosta, Ga.-based Wild Adventures said Tuesday their offer to purchase VisionLand was being withdrawn.<br> <br> The park, located west of Birmingham in Bessemer, owes bondholders $90 million and creditors $10 million.<br> <br> &#34;It&#39;s just too much money for us to put on the table without having a deal done, without some assurances,&#34; said Tildon Smith, an owner of Wild Adventures and its negotiator in the deal.<br> <br> Eleven cities are part of a funding agreement that gives park bondholders about $3 million annually for the next five years. The park has been plagued by a variety of complaints that led to poor attendance.<br> <br> The public authority that runs the park decided last month to sell its assets outright. Two other companies are considering bids for VisionLand.<br>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/10/189040