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Z Land Proposal- Detroit

So I came across an article in my local newspaper and there was this article:

Declining Detroit may become undead.

A Detroit entrepreneur has proposed a controversial plan to help inject new life into the struggling city: creating a zombie-themed amusement park in the abandoned streets of downtown Motown.

Marc Siwak garnered media attention this week from as far away as London after he posted an investment proposal on in-dependent fundraising site In diegogo, hoping to build something called Z World Detroit.

"Let's take a big negative, the blight, and flip it into a positive," Siwak, 40, who has lived in the Detroit area most of his life, told The Star this week. "We have big abandoned factories and people seem fascinated by them. You see people crawling around the old Packard Plant on the east side all the time. Why not take advantage of that?"

Siwak has raised more than $3,000 toward his goal of $140,000 to create a full proposal, though he acknowledges the project would cost much more than that.

His zombie plan sprang to life after he heard Mayor Dave Bing's suggestion of cutting services to under-used portions of the city to save costs. The 2010 census shows Detroit's population fell to little more than 700,000, from a peak of almost 1.9 million in 1950. Detroit has been grappling with a $200-million budget deficit and $13.2 billion in long-term debt.

"This idea came directly from the mayor's proposal to essentially abandon parts of the city," said Siwak, a financial adviser who works in Detroit and who lives in Clawson, Mich. "It got me thinking, 'Really, that's the best we can do?'"

Better than abandonment, Siwak thought, is invasion. Specifically, a zombie invasion.

The plan: visitors would pay a fee to enter Z World - with its real Motor City backdrop - only to be chased by hordes of zombies. As the game progressed, more zombies would amass, adding to the post-apocalyptic free-for-all as players searched for supplies and a home base.

Call it Z in the D. Abandoned buildings would have to be rendered safe, of course. Land would have to be bought. Permits approved. Safety standards passed.

But Siwak sees potential in decay.

The idea has been cheered, but also ridiculed.

Curbed Detroit blogger Sarah Cox wrote that the plan "sounds a lot like all that fun we had during the 1960s race riots."

She also said: "It's nice to know Z Land is finally going to capitalize on our love of adrenalin rushes and nostalgia. Now even visitors from the 'burbs can 'wonder if they will make it through the night.'"

City officials have declined to respond to the idea.

But Siwak says his grand plan stems from a love of Detroit.

"I don't want this to be viewed as ripping on Detroit," Siwak said. "This would bring jobs. And interest. I would just like to see Detroit resurrected to its former grandeur."

I can't see it actually coming to fruition, but what do you guys think? I could see it getting a bit of attention for a little while, but I can't see it sustaining itself as an amusement park to be honest. Living across from Detroit, I think the idea is actually kind of cool from a creative standpoint, but I just couldn't see it lasting. I'd go for sure though, because the abandoned buildings of Detroit are neat and being chased by zombies would be jokes :p .
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Stupid. Not going to happen.

Oh, and zombies? Yawn.... **** ing over it already.
 

kimahri

CF Legend
Using the City with the highest murder rate in the country as a zombie apocalypse Rpg. Clever.
 

Intricks

Strata Poster
I'm with Gavin on this one. Won't happen, not due to stupidity though.

Obesity. Face it, a lot of Americans are far too hefty to be outrunning anything that can run beyond the speed of a tortoise.

Wont lie though, it would be hilarious to watch all the fatasses that would inevitably show up try and run.

Though I wonder, would it just be running from place to place, or would there be paintball/lasertag guns to slow the zombies from chasing you? The possibilities are endless with this, and would be highly interesting to see it play out.

But obesity will be the killer for this.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Of course this sounds like a good, fun creative platform to launch a theme park on (who doesn't like Zombie Apocalypse), but the concept would be hard to bring to fruition.

It's a nitch market, those who enjoy zombies, so families and other larger groups would probably be out of the picture. And with them goes the greatest piece of the park visitor pie.

A theme park could definitely offer an economic stimulus to the city - Tourism is the 4th largest industry in Ohio, which is greatly supported by Cedar Fair - but there would need to be a much more serious, dezombified, proposal for real progress.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
No chance of this happening.

It's a good idea, but it definitely will not happen. I can see the guy in charge opening something around Halloween time of the same scenario (think of 2.8 hours later in the UK), but a park like that, not a chance. The money alone would be of ridiculous amounts to try and renovate the area he wants.
 
^ Yeah, I thought it would be cool as a haunt idea, but for the price he would need to pay to get safety inspections and renovations, it just wouldn't be worth it as a seasonal attraction!

Detroit really needs something though, I was actually just discussing this with my friend yesterday about how much it sucks to live next to a major metropolitan city and have it be so naaasty. I was driving all around it the other day and it's just such a disgusting ****.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
^ I can't agree more regarding price, the price would then be conveyed onto the visitors. It reminds me of the whole "Pennhurst Asylum" story. In which Randy Bates (Bates Motel), purchase the grounds and all the buildings, he spent a FORTUNE, the only way to make that money back was to charge a fortune for people to experience the attractions. It has Four separate attractions, all costing $15 each or a combo pass for $40. That's still very expensive. I can imagine this being EXACLTY the same. Costing a LOT of money to experience the "Game".
 

Gazza

Giga Poster
gavin said:
Stupid. Not going to happen.

Oh, and zombies? Yawn.... **** ing over it already.

Where did this obsession with the Zombie Apocalypse come from anyway. It needs to **** off.
 

Error

Strata Poster
Oh lord. I remember someone showing me this. Its a bold idea, but its doomed to fail.

Sent while out and about
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
The Mayor's office already stated their disapproval of the project. I can see it working out in the suburbs somewhere, but not in the city at all.
 
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