Group hopes for Florence amusement park

Five women entrepreneurs believe that they can pull off something that's often talked about in Arizona but rarely comes to be: an amusement park. Kim Tucci and Carolyn Helm, both Florence residents, remember sketching out their ideas for a theme park years ago on a napkin while in a coffee shop. It was just a brainstorm.

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Now, they're working with three other partners plus a premier company in Boston that specializes in amusement and theme parks to develop their concept for a park they're calling Coyote Canyon.

They say they have 60 percent of the $350 million needed to open an amusement park with roller coasters and an Arizona theme in Florence.

"Is it going to happen?" said Kim Tucci, CEO of One Dream, One Team. "Yes, I can tell you. There's five women who bust their butts every day. We are determined."

Tucci and Helm are joined in their business venture by Melinda Martinez, Maria Puente and Louvelle Poncho. All live in Florence except for Puente, who lives in Chandler.

Tucci says the idea was born out of a simple need: a place for children and families to have fun in a town that lacks movie theaters, bowling alleys and other amenities that are everywhere in Maricopa County. Tucci, who grew up in New Jersey, said roller coaster rides were a big part of her childhood.

"My parents used to get us season passes to Six Flags," she said. "It pretty much kept us out of trouble."

Amusement parks are common in many states. But Arizona has struggled to retain or develop one because of extreme hot temperatures in the summer when many families across the country take their summer vacations.

The park would capitalize on out-of-state fall, winter and spring visitors when the weather is not an issue. Helm, however, said there are also ways to keep people comfortable in Arizona's notoriously hot summers. Large shade kites, cool rooms, and misting areas, which many Valley restaurants use on outdoor patios, would make the park tolerable in the summertime, she said.

"Believe me, that has been a common question for everyone," she said. "To me, the dry heat is so much better than a place like Florida. The people are going to come as long as you find a way to cool them."

The park has generated excitement due to recent media attention. But the park is still a proposal. Florence economic development officials steered the entrepreneurial team to an available 1,200 acres near Highway 79 and Florence-Kelvin Highway. The property has not yet been purchased by the group.

However, there are several indicators that the group is serious about the project, and Florence officials are enthusiastic about it.

"They have come to the town and we support the project," said Jess Knudson, spokesman for Florence. "We hope it works."

The concept for Coyote Canyon would be made up of five entertainment districts: Old West, Indian High Country, Rocks and Rivers Country, Canyon Country and the Central Corridor, where hotels, shopping and office space would be located.

Restaurant and retail stores plus the theme park would encompass 700 acres. The remaining land could house a resort, although that's not envisioned for the first phase.

The group has been working with Boston's Apogee Attractions to help develop the concept for the amusement park and help build a business plan, Helms said.

The company's partners have worked on high-profile projects like the Disneyland resort in California, Epcot Center in Florida and Universal Studios in Hollywood.

The Arizona park could feature a roller coaster that drops hundreds of feet and another thrill that sprays riders with water, Helms said.

The group has landed both traditional financing such as bank loans and attracted private investors to the project, they say. Recent media attention had more people calling about the project who may want a financial stake in it.

Florence Vice Mayor Tom Smith has been talking about the project, too. He said that a park could be a shot in the arm for a downtown that is already showing signs of revitalization, but that still has a long way to go.

"The theme blends in with our Main Street and what we're doing there is preserving one of the last old Western main streets," he said.

Decades Music Theme Park was a source of controversy in the Legislature because of a tax district that could give developers access to millions. No such financial incentives have been promised for Coyote Canyon. However, Smith said that waiving permit fees, construction taxes, and even sales tax rebates for a project of this magnitude could be considered. A Holiday Inn Express that opened this year in Florence received a sales tax rebate, according to town officials.

"I can only speak for myself and not the council," Smith said. "The way I look at it is that there are always things we can do."