Drove by KI this evening and several steel buildings were being constructed in the south parking lot near the bus stop. I drove into the parking area, and the buildings look rather permanent. There are at least four structures of different sizes and several large units that look like air conditioners. They are steel structures with siding. There are several trucks in the lot and one truck had a banner on the side that (could barely read in dark) what appears to read "Taste Lexus". Could CF sold a portion of the lot for a business like a car dealership?

Either that, or another one of those stupid "Test Drive Your (insert car dealer here)" Events like they did almost a week earlier.

Kings Island rents out their lot to company's for events all the time.

And those type structures are also put up for county and state fairs, conventions, etc. They are as easy to remove as they are to put in.

Looks like its a Lexus event:

http://www.tasteoflexus.com/eventlocations.asp

That would be one car show i actually wouldnt mind attending.

^ Why, because you can see the roller Coasters from there?

Cause that's the ONLY reason I'd go!

So, just out of curiosity, how's the new sign coming?

Don't know. I want to go to a movie today, and I'll beg my mom to take me to the Showcase Cinimas near KI. You can see Top Gun by the window it's so Dang close.

Drove by KI this evening and several steel buildings were being constructed in the south parking lot near the bus stop. I drove into the parking area, and the buildings look rather permanent.

And now those buildings are gone...

I pulled into the parking lot when I saw those too. I saw lighting rigs in them and figured it was for a test drive event so didn't post anything on here since those happen all the time in the KI parking lot.

And nothing new on the sign yet, my guess is there won't be anything happening for a while on that project.

Yep, drove by there today, nothing new in that regard. They probably don't want the new sign sitting in the snow all winter.

You won't see the new sign done until after the 1st of the year.

Does anyone else thing the parking lot at KI needs to be sprued up a bit. Add some trees new blacktop more trash can ect. I think a nice looking parking lot should be instore for KI. Maybe even a park garage would be nice way to add alot of parking without having to walk 20 miles.

Oh, please. This is a company that doesn't run trams at any of its parks. If they built a parking garage to keep you from having to walk so far, it'd probably cost $20, or more, to park in it. And, in all fairness, it WOULD have to pay for itself. Which would you rather see: a parking garage in 2009 or a new coaster in 2009? I doubt seriously you'd see both.

I wouldn't mind some new blacktop so it doesn't feel like a roller coaster going up and down through the potholes that are growing in the parking lot, though

Oh, please. This is a company that doesn't run trams at any of its parks. If they built a parking garage to keep you from having to walk so far, it'd probably cost $20, or more, to park in it. And, in all fairness, it WOULD have to pay for itself. Which would you rather see: a parking garage in 2009 or a new coaster in 2009? I doubt seriously you'd see both.

About the parking garage, would it be possible to set it up on the grass in front of the Boomerang Bay parking lot, and then have the remaining lots (minus the bus drop-off and employee lots) be made into a Downtown Disney-esque shopping/dining area.

And we'd get trams.

I don't care if Cedar Fair doesn't do trams, WE'D GET TRAMS. Have the trams go from the garage to the old tram circle that wouldn't be old and, instead, be restored.

Just remember, the trams did still run in 2005 after the old tram circle had been removed. I would rather just walk a little rather than see a nasty looking parking garage appear in the parking lot. I don't see the downtown disney idea working either, thats a great idea for a a year round higher class resort, however while KI is great, it is a seasonal amusement park that probably gets the majority of its business from locals.

^ Agreed! I really hope these buildings aren't perm. KI has a "post card" view from the parking lot... I hope they don't destroy it these buildings. -Hauntguy

Maybe they should spruce up the parking lot with some trash cans and some islands with gardens and trees in them. Remeber the parking lot is the first and last thing you do at Kings Island and anyother theme park so you might as well make it look nice.

Kinda sad when you see how it used to look...

^ dunno why but that pic makes me want to go swimming in the fountains

Is it just me or do the fountains almost look photoshopped

Yea the park looks amazing in that picture.

I can see parking lot going where Face/Off currently sits so KI has a parking lot coaster!!!!! Im so proud now!

Please, no parking garage.

If you think that the parking lot looks questionable now, adding a cement building to it for cars will not help.

Adding a parking garage to KI's parking lot is like adding a building to a failed ride, directly on a Great Lake shoreline.

Wait a minute...

Yeah, don't give CF ANY ideas. It would just add up to a disaster, especially at closing time.

We should put some flags on it...and not take care of it...

Okay so I am not in favor of a parking garage but they can actually be done very tastefully. I was trying to find a better picture of one that i have in mind but I could only find one from the top level.

I found a different parking garage that is pretty cool as well. I could see this one perhaps....

If they're building a parking garage... then I sure hope that it has some character to it rather than being your typical suburban architecture. We don't want KI to start looking like Tri-County Mall.

Kinda sad when you see how it used to look...

OMG, Don't show me a pic of KI now,

I Have Problems Adjusting to the Offseason.

If you look closely, you'll see Face/Off sits in an Area of grass NEAR the parking lot.

^ You can also see the area where IJ currently is located as well as where Vortex is at as well.

But what does an old 1974 picture have to do with a parking lot construction?

I think if they were to build a parking garage it would have to be an underground one. I don't think that KI would want to take away from the current landscape view of the park from I-71 by placing a huge concrete block in the middle of the parking lot.