Six Flags to Open in Tianjin by 2018? [Update]

Is Six Flags planning an amusement park in Tianjin? We're not sure anymore. Yesterday we were alerted to a news article from the LA Times that referenced Six Flags's plans for a park in Tianjin, slated to open in 2018.

But after receiving a brief note from Six Flag's Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications overnight indicating there were no such plans, we dug a little deeper.

This much is true: Last June, the CEO of Six Flags was in Beijing to announce a "strategic partnership" with Riverside Investment Group Co. Ltd., to "build multiple Six Flags-branded theme parks in China over the next decade," a fact confirmed on Six Flag's Investor Relations site.

However, the Chinese language of the same press conference refers specifically to the fact that "the two sides will work together to promote the 'Six Flags Landscape Town' project," which is a multi-use real estate development based in the Beijing/Tianjin/Hebei area.

The Chinese side refers to a multi-use area that combines entertainment, healthcare, culture and tourism, though it stops short of specifically mentioning the construction of a Six Flags-style theme park.

However, given virually all of Six Flags' previous investments have been into theme parks, it would be uncharacteristic for the US-based operator to invest in a real estate development that did not contain one of their theme parks.

In Six Flag's Quarterly Report from October of last year, the company referred to the China plans as follows: "We have signed agreements to help third parties develop Six Flags-branded theme parks in the United Arab Emirates and China. The agreements do not require us to make any capital investments in the parks. As compensation for our design and management services, the exclusivity rights granted, and the rights to use our brand, Six Flags will receive fees over the design and development period as well as an ongoing remuneration once the parks open to the public."

Due to the time difference in the US, we have not yet been able to contact Six Flags for comment, but we'll update this story as we get news.

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