Houma theme park on track

Jeff Hensley contends that he is not taking anyone for a ride. He is serious about opening a 400 acre multi-attraction theme park in Terrebonne Parish. So is his major unidentified, international investor who has already committed $600 million to the project.

Plans are to break ground on the Bon Temps Family Theme Park during the second half of this year and open the gates to visitors during the summer of 2013.

“It’s going to be a theme park in respect that there are going to be themed areas just like you would go to in one of the bigger parks,” Hensley said.

With 18 first-class rides, eight shows taking place at all times and special events scheduled throughout the year, the Bon Temps Family Theme Park removes a need for locals to go to Orlando, Fla., Houston or Baton Rouge for such an attraction. It could also be a draw for tourism to the area.

Hensley stressed that his business plan makes this theme park less likely to fail, as a water park did in Houma and Jazzland did in New Orleans.

“I think one of the problems Jazzland had is they really strongly tried to attract from other areas [but forgot to focus on their local market],” said Hensley, who worked at the park after moving from California to his wife’s home state in 2000.

Hensley is no stranger to the amusement park business. While a teenager, he took special classes and held an internship at Disneyland before working with the famed park for 10 years. He followed that stint by conducting business for the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park.

Hensley also worked with the failed Jazzland. He has spent the past five years as a consultant to theme parks across the country.

“We’ve been kicking around the idea [of opening a new theme park] for about four years and really think we have something,” Hensley said. “My experience is that the only thing that makes a park successful is you absolutely have to read your customer. You have to know what the guests want when they come into the park. That is the most critical thing.”

Hensley said his business plan includes constantly surveying customers to find what they did and did not like and how to improve the business as it grows.

Like most businesses, location is another key to success, according to Hensley. He said that the two primary models are to either build in an open area and see a community grow around it, such as with both Disneyland and Disney World, or build in a primarily middle class community where both the employee and client base are likely to be located.

“It has been shown over and over that 60 percent of your theme park crowd is going to come from within a 200-mile radius,” Hensley said. “We’re not against sending up promos all over the place, but at the same time I know it is the locals that are going to keep us happy.”

Then there is the “wow factor,” Hensley said. “If you don’t have a wow factor people might come once or twice, but that’s about it.”

Entering Bon Temps Family Theme Park, visitors will walk into an architectural section modeled on historic areas of New Orleans including the French Quarter. At the end of a main mall street will be a replica of St. Louis Cathedral.

The New Orleans feel area will blend into other themed areas including a Louisiana swamp, pirate village, tropical region, western world, and a center identified as the Institute of the Future.

“A lot of what you look for in a theme park is not necessarily giving up what you have, but adding things that you can’t do anywhere else,” Hensley said. “A lot of parks might open a new big ride every year or two. But the [successful] trend is to have something going all the time.”

Hensley said in addition to having select rides with the “wow factor”, Bon Temps will have performances and festivals year round. “You have to do a food and wine festival. You have to do a Gospel festival. You have to do something big for Halloween and big for Christmas. You are constantly getting away from a stagnant park,” he said as he promised something if interest for people of all ages.

Hensley said that in addition to the construction work a project like this would bring to the area, park operators plan on hiring 3,000 employees. He also wants to work with area high schools and Fletcher Technical Community College to develop job training for all aspects of the amusement park industry.

Technical training would be beyond operating the tea cup ride or serving soft drinks. It would include mechanical engineering, business operations, and working the various attractions as well.

“I was able to take classes before I began working at Disneyland,” Hensley said. “[They offer] basically an internship, kind of a work program that lets you learn how the park works. They move you around to work the food location for nine weeks, then you work the merchandising for nine weeks, then you operate some rides for nine weeks, then you move into another area.

“It is basically more of a business education. You learn all aspects from being up front to behind the scenes working on mechanical or electrical [components]. It is better than just hiring someone and saying ‘I’m going to let you run the ring toss game.’ It’s not your typical summer job.

“Theme parks that are really strong have people who are well trained. I’m a strong believer in you only get out of people what you put into people. If I don’t train them I shouldn’t expect them to do anything.”

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, there are more than 400 amusement and theme parks in the United States alone. These centers annually attract 300 million visitors per year.

Amusement parks in the United States generate more than $11.5 billion in revenue annually and family themed centers prompt the most repeat visits at approximately three per year per person.

In the United States the amusement park industry provides jobs for approximately 500,000 year-round and seasonal employees.

“This is a project that includes all of the items we have been striving for in Terrebonne,” said Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet. “This project includes both quality of life and economic development. We would be gaining jobs through both construction and employment during the later operations. We certainly wish them success.”

Hensley said he has already approached the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority to present his program to staff members, but the organization’s board of commissioners has yet to consider the theme park plans.

“I really don’t know anything about it. I heard some talk but nothing official,” said TEDA Board President Don Hingle, who is also regional president for Business First Bank. Hingle voiced concern in light of local history with a failed water park. When he was told how much Hensley’s primary investor had put up for the project Hingle said, “That’s crazy money.”

“Currently we are still raising capital and working on conceptual artwork. We have a couple of locations in mind. I’m not going to tell you where because I don’t want the price to go up,” Hensley said. “Our objective is to get as close to [U.S.] Highway 90 as possible.”

Hensley said that part of the attraction to this area is the hospitality of the Bayou Region. “It is a very warm community,” he said. “We think we are a perfect fit because we want to come in and help as well. Our mission is to help bring jobs to the area, which in turn will help everyone else.”

Jeff Hensley is riding high with plans for his Bon Temps Family Theme Park. Construction is targeted to begin later this year with an anticipated opening during the summer of 2013. COURTESY PHOTO