Lubbock business news includes Joyland closings, facilities and more

Hello AJ readers!

One of the biggest stories this week was a sad one as the potential saviors of the Joyland theme park called it quits. The news broke Tuesday, when the Dean family announced the longtime park would not reopen for a 51st season.

“It is with a broken heart that we have to announce that Joyland Amusement Park will not reopen after all,” the post read. “The local investor group that originally agreed to buy the company backed out of the sale.”

Those prospective buyers — Jim and Kai Evans and Darryl and Stephanie Holland — shared a statement with the Avalanche-Journal later Tuesday.

“We share the disappointment that we cannot move forward with the acquisition of Joyland – as our team has encountered numerous obstacles preventing a successful transition. Our intention to purchase this Lubbock landmark was serious from day one – but a number of overwhelming factors – mainly the inability to obtain specialty insurance, vandalism during the off-season, dwindling experienced staff to move over, the rapidly approaching spring operating season – and many other factors – contributed to this very difficult decision. We appreciate the efforts of the Dean family, the City of Lubbock and the citizens for their support of our sincere efforts. A tremendous amount of time, energy, and investment went into researching this venture—including a redesign of the entrance design, a proposed splash pad, and many other upgrades for the benefit of the family and our community—but factors beyond our control were too great to overcome. “