Whatever happened to American Heartland Theme Park and Resort in northeast Oklahoma?

Richard Mize, The Oklahoman
·3 min read
Drawing of entry to American Heartland Theme park and resort planned for Vinita.
Drawing of entry to American Heartland Theme park and resort planned for Vinita.

It's like a roller coaster slowly clambering, clanking and inching its way to a steep drop and a head rush: For the American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, the much-talked-about $2.5 billion, 1,000-acre entertainment venue planned for Vinita, not much has been accomplished after a year.

Will the park top the peak and coast the rails for a thrilling ride? Or remain stalled at the crest?

Catching up on bills appears to be the next step − specifically $5.5 million owed to lead design firm FORREC, which filed a mechanic's and materialman's lien for that amount against developer Mansion Entertainment Group and associated OGB Holdings, the property owner, with the Craig County clerk on May 3.

Crossland Construction Co. also filed a lien on May 30. The amount owed could not immediately be determined.

"It has taken longer than expected to clarify some of our contracts, but WE WILL MOVE FORWARD," American Heartland founder Gene Bicknell wrote in a Facebook post. "Our apologies to FORREC and Crossland for our slowness. We are committed to solve this matter quickly. (Signed) Gene Bicknell & The Entire MEG (Mansion Entertainment Group) Team."

Developer says American Heartland Theme Park and Resort is delayed, not dead in its tracks

Neither the developers nor contractors returned inquiries from The Oklahoman, but they have said the project would be built in phases starting with the 320-acre RV park and cabins to open in spring 2025, followed by the 1,000-acre theme park and resort to open in 2026. The site is just west of Grand Lake on Route 66, about 170 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Mansion Entertainment spokesman Kristy Adams told online news site NonDoc in May that the company is “working on a new timetable" for the theme park, but "we haven’t announced any delays.” It is still scheduled to open in 2026, as planned, but later in the year, she said.

Here's what has happened with the project so far, and what the developers have been up to this year.

What American Heartland Theme Park and Resort has done since announcing the $2 billion project at Vinita a year ago

Drawing of aerial of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort planned for Vinita.
Drawing of aerial of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort planned for Vinita.

  • July 2023: The developer announce plans for a $2 billion theme park and resort in northeast Oklahoma to rival attractions in Branson, Missouri. The developer is an affiliate of Branson-based Mansion Entertainment Group.

  • August 2023: HelloVinita.com launches, a local website and "info hub for all things Vinita and American Heartland."

  • September 2023: The city of Vinita annexes 6 square miles to accommodate the attractions and needed infrastructure.

  • October 2023: Limited dirt work begins.

  • December 2023: HelloVinita.com is last updated on Dec. 18.

  • April 2024: Developers, after delays, update the Vinita City Council.

  • May 2024: A bill to provide up to $35 million to the city of Vinita for water and sewer services for the park, House Bill 3854, having passed the state House and the Senate, is assigned to a conference committee to work out the differences on May 9. The committee reports out a compromise but it is not taken up.

  • May 2024: Liens are filed against the property by FORREC and Crossland Construction Co.

  • May 2024: Bicknell posts on Facebook on May 31: "We will move forward. We wanted to take a moment with you today to apologize. There will always be people who sit and wait to announce any negative news about the development. We cannot change that. Most importantly, there will always be supporters in the project who see the vision and hope for greatness in their community and for the future. To those people and leaders in the community and state we thank you."

  • June 2024: American Heartland representatives attend and promote the Route 66 Festival in Vinita on Facebook.

  • July 2024: American Heartland offers Independence Day greetings on Facebook on July 4, but nothing since.

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Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Developer: American Heartland Theme Park and Resort delayed, not dead