Crescent City Gets a Moneymaker in Nickelodeon!

Nickelodeon and the city of New Orleans have announced plans to create a themed water park called Nickelodeon Universe New Orleans.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the old Six Flags site in eastern New Orleans will reopen under a deal involving Southern Star Amusements and the parent company of the Nickelodeon network. The site has been closed since Hurricane Katrina.

The New Orleans Industrial Development Board is expected to hear a proposal from Southern Star developer Danny Rogers, who will ask the board to approve up to $100 million in Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds, which he says is only part of the financing package that includes private investment.

"This proposed sports complex and the planned Nickelodeon water and theme park are not mutually exclusive and could together present a very beneficial asset to our community," New Orleans Councilman Arnie Fielkow told Bayoubuzz.com

Nickelodeon and Southern Star have entered into a licensing arrangement in which Southern Star will construct the park featuring the Nickelodeon brand and characters from its TV programs such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go! and Avatar: The Last Airbender. It will represent Nickelodeon's first outdoor theme park, city officials said in a release.

Nickelodeon rides, costumed characters, live interactive entertainment, retail shops, games and food establishments are expected to be featured. Construction is to begin this fall after the creative and architectural plans are complete and the park is targeted to open by the end of 2010.

This will no doubt pump much needed funds and jobs into the city still recovering in the Post-Katrina era.

Photo courtesy of nickelodeon.com