Journal Inquirer
Nov. 22--WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- When Cypress Gardens Adventure Park reopens for business this week, Gwen Hardy will be among the hundreds of workers hired to keep the park's rides and other amusements running and visitors pleased.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&AT=JS&barnd=3855"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!-- if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) { document.write('<IFRAME width=\\\\"\\\\" MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDER=\\\\"0\\\\" BORDERCOLOR=\\\\"#000000\\\\" SRC="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&AT=IF&barnd=9092"></iframe>'); } //--> </SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT> [url="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&barnd=9464"]http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&ampampPAG=740&ampampBRD=985&ampampLOCALPCT=50&ampampAREA=25003&ampampVERT=8128&ampampNAREA=25003&ampampSSID=25000&ampampbarnd=9464[/url] </NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The state, federal government and Polk County kicked in a combined $14 million in grants and loans to help an investor get the park running again -- and create jobs.
The jobs, though, won't pay high wages. Hardy, for example, will make $6.25 an hour as an amusement ride operator, or less than $13,000 a year. She'll only earn that much if she's selected for a full-time position.
Low wages and part-time work will be the norm for most of the 425 employees at the retooled attraction, which is scheduled to reopen Friday.
Park officials say they expect 20 percent of the work force to hold full-time jobs.
The park, known for its water ski shows and botanical gardens, was once among the biggest tourist attractions in Florida, but it closed in April 2003 because of poor attendance.
Polk County tourism and economic development officials insist that the $14 million investment will pay off by generating jobs elsewhere in the community.
They say tourists who visit the park will eat at local restaurants and stay at local hotels.
"From an economic standpoint, a Cypress Gardens job may not be compatible with a high tech job but it will stimulate the economy," said Mark Jackson, county tourism director.
Kent Buescher, a Georgia amusement park owner who purchased Cypress Gardens, says he is investing about $50 million in the attraction, adding rides and refurbishing the attraction.
Gordon Kettle, a Polk County Community College economics professor, estimated the reopening will create 1,100 new jobs at area restaurants, lodging establishments and other businesses. That estimate could fall short, he said, if the park isn't a strong tourist draw.
However, critics of the decision to use taxpayer money to help reopen the park argue that the predominance of low wage jobs the park will create doesn't justify the government funding.
"It's inexcusable," said Bruce Nissen, director of the Center for Labor Research at Florida International University in Miami. "I don't see any justification for putting public funds into such a project."
Nissen said state economic development projects won't work if the jobs being created don't pay a living wage and people are unable to advance.
"It's a recipe for being a low wage state forever," he said.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush championed the reopening of Cypress Gardens. He and members of his cabinet approved an $11 million grant from the Department of Environmental Protection that helped Buescher buy the park at a reduced price.
In backing the grant, Bush stressed Cypress Gardens' historical importance as a Florida attraction.
Polk County chipped in $2.5 million to restore the botanical gardens, which it technically owns. Under the county agreement with Buescher, the amusement park operator must maintain the gardens.
A $700,000 grant from the federal Department of Housing and Human Services is aimed at training and hiring workers at the park. The grant was issued to the Florence Villa Community Development Corporation in Winter Haven, which will loan the park $500,000.
Nat Birdsong, executive director of Florence Villa, said under the loan agreement Cypress Gardens must hire 70 local employees at jobs paying at least $8 an hour.
Birdsong says those jobs, combined with subsidized apartments offered by the development group, will give some area residents a chance to enter the economic mainstream.
Several businesses located near Cypress Gardens, such as Shack's Barbecue, say they are hoping for a bump in sales when the park opens, but don't expect a dramatic increase in business or hiring.
Stacy Montgomery, a cashier at the eatery, said business has been off about 10 percent since Cypress Gardens closed, but Shack's didn't lay off any of its 12 waitresses.
Montgomery said some workers might be able to sign on to work double shifts if business from Cypress Gardens is strong.
Job creation, aside, theme park analysts and experts question whether Cypress Gardens will survive at all, sandwiched between major theme parks in Orlando to the east, and Busch Gardens in Tampa on the west.
Buescher, who owns the Wild Adventures amusement park in Valdosta, Ga., says he is confident the park, which will charge $34.95 for one day admission, will be a success.
Buescher's strategy includes adding several dozen rides and a water park. He thinks the park will boost the local economy.
Indeed, despite the mostly low wage work the park is offering, there's been no shortage of people applying for work. One reason may be the shortage of jobs in Polk County, a semi-rural area with a 6.5 percent unemployment rate. That's 2 percent higher that the statewide average in October, the most recent figure available.
Cypress Gardens officials say several thousand have applied for jobs, ranging from cooking hamburgers in park restaurants, operating cash registers in gift shops, and dressing up as southern belles to greet visitors.
The majority of park employees will be paid $6.25 an hour, said Everett McKeown, the park's director of human resources.
Hardy, 20, says there aren't any jobs in the Winter Haven area for high school graduates like her beyond perhaps the Wal-Mart or McDonald's.
"I think it's a great opportunity," said Hardy of the weekend job she landed as an amusement park ride operator. "I've been trying to find a job for a year now."
Hardy, who has two young children, says the money she earns will supplement her husband's wage as an auto mechanic.
When it reopens Friday in this Central Florida town of 25,000 people, Cypress Gardens will become one of the largest employers in the area, behind Winter Haven Hospital and the Florida headquarters of State Farm Insurance. The hospital employs 2,500 and State Farm employs 1,400.
McKeown said the park employees will be given the first chance at advancement into supervisory positions, with starting salaries of $23,000, if they do a good job.
Buescher, the park's owner, says other jobs will pay decent wages as well, such as ride mechanics who will earn more than $15 an hour.
Central Florida Economic Development Director Tom Patten says the importance of Cypress Gardens to county residents goes beyond jobs.
He says the park has been an important part of the county's heritage. He also argues that even though the park's jobs will chiefly be entry level, they'll offer work experience to those new to the labor market
"If you don't have a job, it's a start," he said.
The biggest economic boon to the area from Cypress Gardens' reopening effort thus far has come in the form of construction jobs.
As many as 500 construction workers have been employed at the site during the past several months.
One of them, Wil Newton, was busy painting park buildings recently. He earns $12 an hour, and is thankful for it.
The husband and father of three, says he and other construction workers have one wish once the park opens: "I hope they give us some complimentary tickets," he said. "We couldn't afford to come here otherwise."
Nov. 22--WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- When Cypress Gardens Adventure Park reopens for business this week, Gwen Hardy will be among the hundreds of workers hired to keep the park's rides and other amusements running and visitors pleased.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&AT=JS&barnd=3855"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!-- if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) { document.write('<IFRAME width=\\\\"\\\\" MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDER=\\\\"0\\\\" BORDERCOLOR=\\\\"#000000\\\\" SRC="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&AT=IF&barnd=9092"></iframe>'); } //--> </SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT> [url="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=740&BRD=985&LOCALPCT=50&AREA=25003&VERT=8128&NAREA=25003&SSID=25000&barnd=9464"]http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&ampampPAG=740&ampampBRD=985&ampampLOCALPCT=50&ampampAREA=25003&ampampVERT=8128&ampampNAREA=25003&ampampSSID=25000&ampampbarnd=9464[/url] </NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The state, federal government and Polk County kicked in a combined $14 million in grants and loans to help an investor get the park running again -- and create jobs.
The jobs, though, won't pay high wages. Hardy, for example, will make $6.25 an hour as an amusement ride operator, or less than $13,000 a year. She'll only earn that much if she's selected for a full-time position.
Low wages and part-time work will be the norm for most of the 425 employees at the retooled attraction, which is scheduled to reopen Friday.
Park officials say they expect 20 percent of the work force to hold full-time jobs.
The park, known for its water ski shows and botanical gardens, was once among the biggest tourist attractions in Florida, but it closed in April 2003 because of poor attendance.
Polk County tourism and economic development officials insist that the $14 million investment will pay off by generating jobs elsewhere in the community.
They say tourists who visit the park will eat at local restaurants and stay at local hotels.
"From an economic standpoint, a Cypress Gardens job may not be compatible with a high tech job but it will stimulate the economy," said Mark Jackson, county tourism director.
Kent Buescher, a Georgia amusement park owner who purchased Cypress Gardens, says he is investing about $50 million in the attraction, adding rides and refurbishing the attraction.
Gordon Kettle, a Polk County Community College economics professor, estimated the reopening will create 1,100 new jobs at area restaurants, lodging establishments and other businesses. That estimate could fall short, he said, if the park isn't a strong tourist draw.
However, critics of the decision to use taxpayer money to help reopen the park argue that the predominance of low wage jobs the park will create doesn't justify the government funding.
"It's inexcusable," said Bruce Nissen, director of the Center for Labor Research at Florida International University in Miami. "I don't see any justification for putting public funds into such a project."
Nissen said state economic development projects won't work if the jobs being created don't pay a living wage and people are unable to advance.
"It's a recipe for being a low wage state forever," he said.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush championed the reopening of Cypress Gardens. He and members of his cabinet approved an $11 million grant from the Department of Environmental Protection that helped Buescher buy the park at a reduced price.
In backing the grant, Bush stressed Cypress Gardens' historical importance as a Florida attraction.
Polk County chipped in $2.5 million to restore the botanical gardens, which it technically owns. Under the county agreement with Buescher, the amusement park operator must maintain the gardens.
A $700,000 grant from the federal Department of Housing and Human Services is aimed at training and hiring workers at the park. The grant was issued to the Florence Villa Community Development Corporation in Winter Haven, which will loan the park $500,000.
Nat Birdsong, executive director of Florence Villa, said under the loan agreement Cypress Gardens must hire 70 local employees at jobs paying at least $8 an hour.
Birdsong says those jobs, combined with subsidized apartments offered by the development group, will give some area residents a chance to enter the economic mainstream.
Several businesses located near Cypress Gardens, such as Shack's Barbecue, say they are hoping for a bump in sales when the park opens, but don't expect a dramatic increase in business or hiring.
Stacy Montgomery, a cashier at the eatery, said business has been off about 10 percent since Cypress Gardens closed, but Shack's didn't lay off any of its 12 waitresses.
Montgomery said some workers might be able to sign on to work double shifts if business from Cypress Gardens is strong.
Job creation, aside, theme park analysts and experts question whether Cypress Gardens will survive at all, sandwiched between major theme parks in Orlando to the east, and Busch Gardens in Tampa on the west.
Buescher, who owns the Wild Adventures amusement park in Valdosta, Ga., says he is confident the park, which will charge $34.95 for one day admission, will be a success.
Buescher's strategy includes adding several dozen rides and a water park. He thinks the park will boost the local economy.
Indeed, despite the mostly low wage work the park is offering, there's been no shortage of people applying for work. One reason may be the shortage of jobs in Polk County, a semi-rural area with a 6.5 percent unemployment rate. That's 2 percent higher that the statewide average in October, the most recent figure available.
Cypress Gardens officials say several thousand have applied for jobs, ranging from cooking hamburgers in park restaurants, operating cash registers in gift shops, and dressing up as southern belles to greet visitors.
The majority of park employees will be paid $6.25 an hour, said Everett McKeown, the park's director of human resources.
Hardy, 20, says there aren't any jobs in the Winter Haven area for high school graduates like her beyond perhaps the Wal-Mart or McDonald's.
"I think it's a great opportunity," said Hardy of the weekend job she landed as an amusement park ride operator. "I've been trying to find a job for a year now."
Hardy, who has two young children, says the money she earns will supplement her husband's wage as an auto mechanic.
When it reopens Friday in this Central Florida town of 25,000 people, Cypress Gardens will become one of the largest employers in the area, behind Winter Haven Hospital and the Florida headquarters of State Farm Insurance. The hospital employs 2,500 and State Farm employs 1,400.
McKeown said the park employees will be given the first chance at advancement into supervisory positions, with starting salaries of $23,000, if they do a good job.
Buescher, the park's owner, says other jobs will pay decent wages as well, such as ride mechanics who will earn more than $15 an hour.
Central Florida Economic Development Director Tom Patten says the importance of Cypress Gardens to county residents goes beyond jobs.
He says the park has been an important part of the county's heritage. He also argues that even though the park's jobs will chiefly be entry level, they'll offer work experience to those new to the labor market
"If you don't have a job, it's a start," he said.
The biggest economic boon to the area from Cypress Gardens' reopening effort thus far has come in the form of construction jobs.
As many as 500 construction workers have been employed at the site during the past several months.
One of them, Wil Newton, was busy painting park buildings recently. He earns $12 an hour, and is thankful for it.
The husband and father of three, says he and other construction workers have one wish once the park opens: "I hope they give us some complimentary tickets," he said. "We couldn't afford to come here otherwise."
