Dolly Parton's "Dixie Stampede" CLOSED

[Ed]

I drove by there a few days ago. Other than taking the Dixie Stampede signs off the building, nothing has changed. The building and land was bought by the company that owns the outlet mall on the other side of the street. But nothing has been announced as to exactly what they're going to do with it.

[Ed]

In the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

No sale yet for Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede property

Mark Chediak
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 12, 2008

When Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede abruptly shut down and laid off 162 workers in early January, the dinner theater's owners said they had sold the attraction in a deal that was too good to pass up.

That deal, it turns out, has fallen apart, leaving the 13-acre lot east of Walt Disney World without a buyer and its fate unknown.

Orlando Premium Outlets, which had considered purchasing the nearby property as part of an expansion, recently said it wasn't interested in the site at 7950 Vineland Ave.

"We never said we were buying it; we said we are looking at it," said Michele Rothstein, a spokeswoman for Chelsea Premium Outlets, a division of mall-owner Simon Property Group and operator of Orlando Premium Outlets.

The mall owner had done its due diligence and wasn't going forward with a deal for undisclosed reasons, Rothstein said. Orlando Premium, one of the most successful outlets in the country, recently completed a 114,000-square-foot expansion that added 40 new outlet retailers.

As for the empty Dixie Stampede, which occupies a high-profile location in Orlando's tourism corridor and can be easily spotted by motorists on Interstate 4, its fate remains unclear.

Pete Owens, spokesman for Dixie Stampede LLC, said the company is now searching for a new buyer. Owens said the theater operator does not plan to move back into the empty building, which once held a 1,086-seat theater for shows featuring horses, buffalo, ostrich races and a cast of Civil War soldiers.

Dixie Stampede now operates namesake dinner theaters in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Branson, Mo.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The concept was the brainchild of country singer and actress Parton, who remains part-owner of the company.

At the time of the announced sale of the Orlando location, which opened in 2003, Parton issued a statement saying the offer was an "opportunity we could not pass up."

Now, with the credit crunch hampering commercial real-estate transactions, a buyer might be harder to find.

"We are optimistic even with the current economic situation," Owens said. "We had several groups that expressed interested in the property at the same time that Chelsea was involved."

The property has an assessed value of $14.9 million, according to the Orange County property appraiser. Dixie Stampede purchased the vacant site in 2000 for $3.4 million.

Meanwhile, Dixie Stampede continues to search for another location in Central Florida for a dinner theater, Owens said.

[big blue and hairy]

In the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

No sale yet for Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede property

Mark Chediak
Sentinel Staff Writer
November 12, 2008

When Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede abruptly shut down and laid off 162 workers in early January, the dinner theater's owners said they had sold the attraction in a deal that was too good to pass up.

That deal, it turns out, has fallen apart, leaving the 13-acre lot east of Walt Disney World without a buyer and its fate unknown.

Orlando Premium Outlets, which had considered purchasing the nearby property as part of an expansion, recently said it wasn't interested in the site at 7950 Vineland Ave.

"We never said we were buying it; we said we are looking at it," said Michele Rothstein, a spokeswoman for Chelsea Premium Outlets, a division of mall-owner Simon Property Group and operator of Orlando Premium Outlets.

The mall owner had done its due diligence and wasn't going forward with a deal for undisclosed reasons, Rothstein said. Orlando Premium, one of the most successful outlets in the country, recently completed a 114,000-square-foot expansion that added 40 new outlet retailers.

As for the empty Dixie Stampede, which occupies a high-profile location in Orlando's tourism corridor and can be easily spotted by motorists on Interstate 4, its fate remains unclear.

Pete Owens, spokesman for Dixie Stampede LLC, said the company is now searching for a new buyer. Owens said the theater operator does not plan to move back into the empty building, which once held a 1,086-seat theater for shows featuring horses, buffalo, ostrich races and a cast of Civil War soldiers.

Dixie Stampede now operates namesake dinner theaters in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Branson, Mo.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The concept was the brainchild of country singer and actress Parton, who remains part-owner of the company.

At the time of the announced sale of the Orlando location, which opened in 2003, Parton issued a statement saying the offer was an "opportunity we could not pass up."

Now, with the credit crunch hampering commercial real-estate transactions, a buyer might be harder to find.

"We are optimistic even with the current economic situation," Owens said. "We had several groups that expressed interested in the property at the same time that Chelsea was involved."

The property has an assessed value of $14.9 million, according to the Orange County property appraiser. Dixie Stampede purchased the vacant site in 2000 for $3.4 million.

Meanwhile, Dixie Stampede continues to search for another location in Central Florida for a dinner theater, Owens said.

Ooops!

[AnnetteFan]

Doesn't make much sense to look for a new location when you already have one. It would be costly to build the type of building neccesary to house Dixie Stampede so I just don't see why they'd bother if they don't have an immediate seller offering them a ridiculous amount of money.

[Ed]

Given the present state of the economy and the prevailing commercial real estate conditions in the Orlando-area, I imagine this building will continue to sit vacant for quite a while. And in my book, it serves them right that the "opportunity we could not pass up" fell apart, leaving them stuck with a huge, vacant "white elephant". The way they shut the place down virtually overnight, leaving their employees jobless, was nothing short of sleazy. If they ever do decide to re-open in this area, they're going to have a tough time developing a loyal and committed employee base.

[AnnetteFan]

I really don't see that building being used for anything other than a dinner show type attraction. It makes me kind of laugh to see the For Sale or Lease sign on the building as if it were a 3 bedroom 2 bath condo that someone might make an offer on at any moment. I think they'd be better off demolishing the building and selling the empty lot if they don't intend to move back into the location.
As much as I like Dixie Stampede I think Orlando can live without it. I feel like it fits much better in it's other locations because it's the sort of entertainment people are looking for when they visit those tourist spots.

[big blue and hairy]

in my book, it serves them right that the "opportunity we could not pass up" fell apart, leaving them stuck with a huge, vacant "white elephant". The way they shut the place down virtually overnight, leaving their employees jobless, was nothing short of sleazy. If they ever do decide to re-open in this area, they're going to have a tough time developing a loyal and committed employee base.

I don't know what they were thinking either. I wouldn't close down the place until the contract was signed and iron-clad. As far as looking for another location, that just seems stupid. I f you don't anyone interested in your property, use it! The only thing I can think of (other than corporate stupidity) is that they have reason to think that when the economy recovers, the Premier Outlets will remake the"offer too good to refuse".