Kings World: Yogi plans a Chicago playground
Everybody knows Marriott built a park near Chicago (Great America). Everybody knows Taft built a park not far from Washington, DC (Kings Dominion). Some people know Marriott tried unsuccessfully to build a park near DC (a future story). But few are aware that Taft tried to tap into the huge Chicago market as well, hitting the same brick wall Marriott did in VA.
Kings World was announced in 1973 with the intent to open in 1976. The company was pushing full-tilt after opening Kings Island in 72. Kings Dominion was planned for a 75 debut, and also in 73 came the announcement for Canada’s Wonderland. And if that wasn't enough, Taft had joined with Top Value (Kroger) to form Family Leisure Centers as a joint venture to focus on parks, which now also included merger plans with Cedar Point. Marriott was well underway on their designs for the area when Taft optioned 800 acres in Kane County, IL. The park was essentially similar to KI and KD, with a 12-foot tree-lined berm on two boundaries for sound and visual containment along Route 47 and the Tollway. The project included a 200-room hotel, golf course, camp grounds, trails, exposition halls, and so forth. First season attendance for the $50M project was predicted at a hefty 2.6M.
Locals rallied in opposition, similar to what Marriott (and Disney) faced in VA. Local home owners dubbed it a “house of horrors.” Taft promised to provide road interchange improvements in cooperation with local government, but highway officials made it clear they didn’t do this sort of thing for private property, pointing out they had already refused to assist Marriott with their park plans. The company kept trying to convince the locals they were coming into the area with goodwill and would enhance the region, not destroy it, publishing a public letter in February of 1974 listing the benefits the project would bring. Impact on community services would be minimal, including limited pressure on school districts. Tax revenues would increase substantially for local government. They tried to allay fears over water and ecosystem damage by conducting studies and promising to pay for a new sewage treatment plant. Pointing to the success of Kings Island, they touted the enthusiastic response in that community as well as an endorsement from the Cincinnati Sierra Club.
It wouldn’t work. Yogi finally gave up and concentrated on his other fierce battle in Canada, which wasn’t going well. Perhaps as a consolation prize, FLC looked a bit farther down south and bought struggling Carowinds, finalizing that deal in 1975. Below is the site plan released to the public showing the property layout, a general location map, and an article from more optimistic times when everyone thought the park was a done deal.
