“ The Shopping Center must be in financial trouble if they would allow a church to move in”

“ Those contemporary churches play such loud music…they will be a real distraction and disruption”

“Traffic and parking is an issue already…this is just going to make it worse”

“ We can see it now…all those holy rollers will be putting flyers and approaching all of clients, and we will loose their business”

“ This is not fair…they are going to use an unfair share of the CAM (common area maintenance)”

“They obvious are not a ‘real’ church if they don’t have their own building”

I have heard all of the above…and yet I wonder if the above are the rule or the exception?  Are these unfounded fears and myths?  How do we know?

Well, earlier this year Josh Blackson (Operations Pastor at Elevation Church) came to me with the idea of conducting a “blind survey” of local business that are in immediate or close proximity to the 2 Elevation Church campuses.  He wanted to see how the occupancy of Elevation Church, in their 2-predominately business oriented locations (one a shopping center and one in an office development) impacted the local merchants.  We structured and sent the surveys from our company and not under the opuses of the church so as to not influence the responses.  The survey cards were returned to my attention and then we disseminated the data. No spin or filtering.

What we found was very encouraging.  In fact, we believe that this data may help other churches in their quest to secure a lease or purchase of commercial properties.  The survey showed that the impact was positive and did not have an adverse affect on the businesses…actually quite the opposite.

Here is what we learned from these businesses since Elevation Church opened in their community: 

1. Approximately 70% of all issued surveys were competed and returned 

2. Of the respondents, 81% were restaurants or some type of food service

3. 87% indicated that they had experienced an increase in customer traffic

4. Almost 90% reported an increase in sales.

5. Over 85% told us that they had seen an increase in repeat customers

6. 100% of all of the restaurants responded with an affirmative answer to the questions in #3-5 above.

7. 0%…that is zero…nada…zilch reported any adverse impact on their business since the church moved in.

Obviously, every community, section of town, business types, business mix, church, local government, etc. can impact these types of results, but the above would indicate that the locating of a church in an otherwise business setting can be an asset to the church (by being in the center of culture and the community…as well as occupying empty retail space) but also the community and its businesses.

How cool is that?

Below is a REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) for a new pastor…please let me know if you have ever hired a pastor this way, or think it would work:

 

 

Request For Proposal (RFP)

First Church of Anywhere (FCA) is seeking proposals for the role of Senior Pastor of our church.

The  Elders at FCA,  has directed the creation of a committee to conduct market research, then to solicit for, evaluate, and provide a recommendation of a Senior Pastor for the performance of spiritual, emotional, and organizational leadership of the congregation. The proposals for this scope of services are due at the FCA’s office in electronic (pdf is preferred) format not later than 5:00 PM of the second Tuesday of next month. Printed copies may be sent as a supplement; not more than 3 printed copies should be provided. The committee intends to submit this RFP to no less than 20 potential candidates and then will develop a “Short list”  of the top 3 candidates that meet our criteria from whom additional information will be required and possibly a face-to-face interview.

Upon receipt of the committee’s recommendation, and due consideration, the Elders reserve the right to select one, or none of the proposals, and/or to begin discussions and/or negotiations with any or all of the persons proposing. The committee reserves the right to conduct additional interviews of offerors, either in-person, or electronically.

Responses to this Request for Proposals should be brief, concise and responsive to the specific request outlined herein. Each submittal must include:

1. A brief letter of introduction

2. A State of Qualifications describing the responding person’s abilities to successfully lead a congregation,  including leadership skills, DISC Profile, Strengths Finder top 5 list,  preferred translation of the Bible, list of degrees from institutions of higher learning, budget control,  counseling skills including a description of most recent success rate, percentage of marriages from which are still married and other related information.

3. An organizational chart and summary resumes of key personnel that you would include on the leadership team, including designations and skill set of each party, and all other proposed ministerial and leadership personnel with their role descriptions;

4. Examples of not more than three churches that you have led that are similar in size, scope and spiritual composition as FCA,  during the past three to five years, demonstrating their corresponding traits and/or success rates in the following areas:

•  numerical growth from year to year as a numerical indicator as well as a percentage of growth
•  churches similar in theological persuasion as FCA
•  number of baptisms and dedications performed in each calendar year
•  annual increase in revenue from year to year
• worship styles similar to that of FCA

5. Current names and telephone numbers of references for churches cited in # 4 above.

6. Compensation requirements including but not limited to salary requirements, housing allowance, vehicle requirement, insurance expectations and other related fringe benefit expectations.

Please limit RFP responses to a total of 10 pages.  Failure to comply with the above list of criteria will disqualify a candidate.  Furthermore, while compensation is not the only criteria being considered, it will play a major role in the decision of the committee and Elders. It is critical that all respondents present their best and most aggressive  proposal for compensation and other financial considerations in order to be given serious consideration.

REALLY…have you ever seen such a thing presented to a group of potential pastors when a church is looking for a new Senior Pastor?  Has your church ever asked pastors to “bid” for the job and then selected the person with the lowest salary request? Do all the critical decisions of your church rotate around money, cost, fees, compensation…or are there other criteria that are more important….such as:

1. The right fit….chemistry
2. The best cultural alignment
3.  Significant understanding of the DNA and vision of the church
4.  The ability to lead the organization to its desired goals
5.  Experience in leading a team and organization to accomplish the vision, mission and goals. Someone who has been where you want to go

If we believe that these are critical to the hiring of the leadership of our churches, then why do we revert back to lowest price and commodity thinking when we select the professionals to lead us through our facility development processes? Generally speaking, the cost related to our facilities are the second most consuming factor of our annual budgets….and yet we treat the decisions surrounding them as if we were flipping a coin or buying a copy machine.

That logic just does not work.

2. COST OF “MONEY”
Let’s assume that we borrowed $3,000,000 to pay for the project and we did so based on a 15 year loan at 6%…but paid it off in 7 years. In this scenario, you will have paid approximately $1.1M in interest.

3. COST OF OPERATION:
Based on our research and benchmarking provided by IFMA (International Facility Managers Association), the average church in America will spend $4.50 to 7.00 per square foot annually for janitorial services, utilities and general maintenance. In addition, a church will spend an additional amount in capital improvements that will be in the $1.00 0 2.00/SF range (if the capital reserve account is started at the time construction is complete…this number grows significantly higher if you neglect the capital reserve account during the early years of the building’s life cycle). For the sake of this exercise, let’s assume that we will spend $6.50/SF for operational and capital reserve items. This may be low…but want the calculations to be realistic. I was recently contacted by Gary Gabriel from CDH Partners who shared that in 2010, the Building Owners and Managers Association also used $6.50/SF as their bench mark number…so I think we are in good company here.
30,000 SF x $6.50/SF = $195,000/yr.

Assume a 40 year life cycle (which is not that long)….at 1.5% per year of inflation. Remember, that operational costs are perpetual and paid for with inflated dollars….so this is going to increase, and 1.5% is probably TOO LOW.
$195,000/ yr x 40 years = $7,800,000 + 60% (1.5% per year inflation for 40 years…without compounding) = $12,480,000

So let’s look at what this means:
1. Initial costs including design – $4,012,500
2. Cost of Money – $1,100,000
3. Cost of life cycle operations and capital reserve – $12,480,000 (that is $416/SF…OUCH)

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP = $17,592,500

WOW….that is a BIG number…now…here is the shocking part:
1. The combined cost of the construction partner and the design professionals ($600,000 in this example) is only 3%  of the total cost of ownership
2. The construction cost…including the design…is only about 22% of the total cost of ownership
3. The interest paid is only about 6% of the total cost of ownership
4. Leaving…71% of the total cost of ownership in operation costs and capital expenditures.

As I indicated in a past blog, State Farm Insurance found that they spend about 80% of the total cost of ownership of commercial buildings on operational costs over 40 year.  Further, a book was published in 1969  by  THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS entitled – LIFE CYCLE COST ANALYSIS 2:USING IT IN PRACTICE by  David S. Haviland.  In this book, Mr. Haviland states:

“The INITIAL DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION of a facility comprises about 15% of the total cost of a building over its 40 year lifespan. The remaining 85% is made up of the building’s OPERATIONS and MAINTENANCE COSTS.”

So…what costs more….the initial cost…or the cost after you occupy? I think the numbers speak for themselves. So…do we invest the same amount of time and energy in planning our operational costs as we did when we developed our master plans and floor plans? Why do we get all in a tiff about an architect charging 8% instead of 5%…or the construction partner charging 10% instead of 6%? The fees that encompass only 3% of the total cost of ownership feel so important at the time we hire them….but the decisions, direction, means and methods that this team suggests and implements will be with you for the life of your buildings. Do we have our eyes on the REAL cost of facility ownership?

If Facility Stewardship is really about being wise stewards of all God has entrusted, then I think it is fair to say that most of us have our priorities upside down. Facility Stewardship must include:

1. Purposeful Facility Planning…taking the time to really evaluate the DNA of the church, reviewing the vision, determining IF facilities are needed to accomplish the vision and mission of the church in addition to evaluating the potential financial implications

2. Proper Facility Development…This is not just about construction….but also encompasses the financial stewarding of the resources God has entrusted, planning facilities that meet the ministry objectives….AND…that do not bankrupt the church in the future with operational costs. As seen above…most of your long term cost of facility ownership WILL BE established based on the planning during this phase of any project

3. Proactive Facility Management and long Term Care….this is where we too often fall grossly short in our Facility Stewardship Initiative.

Think about it….then do something about it.

This may sound controversial to you or even blasphemous….but if you will stick with me and read this entire blog, I think you will agree with my premise. Don’t shut me down yet.

As a maturing young man, I constantly heard counselors, pastors and advisers tell me that I needed to seek God’s plan for my life…to look for His perfect plan…to search for His will. While I believe that this was all well intended advice and maybe even correct, I am not sure it was the “right” thing to focus on. Let me explain what I mean.

The people closest to me might let you know that I have been accused of being a “control freak”…a hard driving, list making, task following, high “D” (on the DISC Profile) type “A” guy.  I love to have my task list.  I even use my Outlook Tasks to remind me to take certain medications. I thrive on having a “plan” to following.  You know…the kind that says that if we do X, then Y is the next step which should produce Z. I love developing marking plans…sales forecasts…master plans for churches…facility preventive maintenance plans and so on.  That’s how I roll…deal with it. LOL

So, as I have thought about “God’s Plan” for me and my life, I find that I have been guilty of trying to make His plan fit into the way I develop other “plans”.  I have prayed and focused on the PLAN.  If I do x..then y.  I have been so deceived (by my own admission) at times that I assumed that God’s plan/will for my life was very narrow to the point that if was 1 degree off to the left or the right, I would be outside His plan.  In many ways this has been debilitating and restrictive…a kind of  legalism. If I did not buy the ONE house that was at the center of God’s will, the rest of the “plan” would be in jeopardy…as if I/Me/Tim Cool could actually impact God’s plan…talk about arrogance!

But as I have been studying the scripture, I am convicted and convinced that I have been seeking the wrong thing.  I have been too focused on the PLAN and not the PLANNER.  Too focused on the events of my life instead of the creator and master of my life. In her devotional book “Jesus Calling”, Sarah Young has reminded her readers to seek God…live close to God…walk peacefully with God…linger in God’s presence…rest in God.  These have been a real blessing to me and convicted me at the same time.  I am guilty of looking for the “plan” that I have failed to just BE with God, my Lord. I have taken my eyes off of Him and focused them on what he can do…or what I think he wants me to do. Just like my Outlook task list, I have turned my relationship with Christ into a check list of activities and “next steps”.

Now don’t get me wrong…I am not supporting a Kumbaya life style or spiritual journey.  I still believe that God wants (even instructs/commands) us to be wise stewards of all He has entrusted to us, including our time and energies.  I also believe that we need to set agendas, have plans and forecast how things might function in the future. Also, as it says in Psalm 40:5, I absolutely believe God has plans for us (Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.) BUT, I believe that our initial seeking should be for God…and His righteousness…and not His plan. Don’t minimize God to a Plan…he is our Lord and Savior and creator of all things.  Seek Him first…the plan will be just fine if He is first in our lives.

Lord, forgive me for not being focused on you.  Forgive me for trying to put you in a box and make you just another task list or strategic plan. Draw me close to you…as I rest in you for WHO you are…not just what you can do

What would you say if your architect told you he could design you a space that is beautiful, functional, and spacious, and it would only be about 10% of the cost per square foot of the typical building? You might ask him what he’s been smoking, or you might say “I’ll take it!” before you even hear what it is. Too often architect’s forget about this secret weapon. The space between buildings can be an amazing environment, and guess what…you don’t have to put a roof over it or air condition it and that’s where the cost savings come in.

Shopping center behind a sea of parking

Typical Mall is an island in a sea of parking

Great outdoor space can change the entire experience of being on a site and visiting a building. When attention is paid to the arrival sequence from the time you visually see the site, drive onto it, park your car, and walk up to the buildings, you can create an exciting experience out of a typically mundane one. Picture your average Big Box shopping center on one hand with its sea of parking facing the road and compare that to New Urbanist developments that creatively find a way to stash the cars and move you right into a pedestrian friendly environment.

Vickery Village shopping center with great spaces between buildings - Cumming, GA

Baxter Town Center - Fort Mill, SC - Pedestrian Friendly New Urbanist Development

Make no mistake, cars are a part of American culture, and unless you are in a dense urban environment with good public transportation, which most of the country is not, you are not going to get away from having a significant amount of a site dedicated to parking, but the parking lot doesn’t have to be your most prominent feature if you have a good design team. I don’t want to spend too much time discussing parking here, because my main topic is the space between buildings where people interact and where true community has a chance to develop.

Millennium Park in Chicago

Throughout history outdoor public space has been the center of community life for people. Whether it was the Greek Agoras, the Italian Piazzas or the American town square, people have a desire to come together in an environment that is appealing in design, comfortable to hang-out in, and where they can enjoy God’s creation outdoors. Even in the harshest environments of extreme cold and extreme hot climates these spaces are being developed. The weather may not be conducive to outdoor activity every day of the year, but when it’s nice these places fill up. Environment’s don’t get much harsher than Chicago (freezing, snowy, windy winters and hot, baking summers), but head out to Navy Pier or Millennium Park on a nice day and the places are packed with people. If they can develop great outdoor environments in a climate that harsh, then what’s your excuse for not doing it on your site?

Navy Pier in Chicago

Pedestrians enjoying Navy Pier in Chicago

How much more would it have cost to take all these great outdoor environments and put walls around them, throw on some roofs, and air condition and heat those spaces? Plus how different would they feel? There’s a reason no indoor malls are being developed anywhere in the country anymore while New Urbanist open air Town Centers are popping up everywhere. People like to be outside and developers don’t have to build huge enclosed “spaces between buildings”…it’s a win-win for everyone.

Church with Mall-type Parking

Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, CA with pedestrian friendly layout

These same concepts can be applied to church campus designs. Churches often get stuck in a rut called “tradition” or “the way it’s always been done.” With church design that usually means plopping the building down in the middle of the site and then surrounding it with parking, just like the malls and shopping centers do. Church leaders and church designers could learn some lessons about creating places people enjoy coming to that include great outdoor public spaces that are “gifts” back to the community. Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, CA is a good example of this intentional decision to incorporate pedestrian friendly design features and create interesting and inviting “outdoor rooms” between the buildings.

If you are a church planter or pastor of a church and you are contemplating your first building project or an expansion of your current campus, wouldn’t you want to develop spaces that your neighbors would desire to visit, and that your congregation would enjoy hanging out in between services and during the week? The “old school” church site and church facility sits empty six and a half days a week. Is that really good stewardship considering the amount of money being invested in land and building costs? Isn’t it a better investment to make your building and the spaces between them serve a purpose and serve the community the rest of the week? Isn’t getting people on your site a win-win? They can see that you’re not some “scary and secretive institution” and that you care enough to provide these great spaces with no strings attached. Before you start your next project figure out how to turn your church inside out so passers-by can see “community” happening right in your front yard every week.

Where is your favorite outdoor room? What features does it have and how could they be used as an outreach tool on your church expansion project? If you missed the post on “Weapon One”, you can read it here.

Originally posted by Jody Forehand on 2/25/2012 on his Reckless Abandon blog.

With that as a theme, join the entire Visioneering Studios Team in celebrating the opening of the new ministry facility for Centerpoint Church.

This has been a great project for our entire Visioneering Studios team. Starting with the Alignment process, through the ENVISION….to the DESIGN….and then to BUILD. Our complete “dream to dedication” processes as the nation’s leading Design/Builder were utilized to deliver a successful project for Centerpoint…but don’t just take our word for it….hear it directly from the lead pastor:

“When it came time for us to expand our campus and build a new worship center – we knew we wanted the ‘Visioneering’ look. We had visited Mariners, Crossroads, and Central Christian and knew that’s the look and feel we wanted to go for. But we were concerned that the price-tag might be out of our range. We interviewed and got preliminary bids based on schematics from some other contractors. They didn’t seem to really ‘get’ us, and the estimates they gave us were beyond our budget. We met with Visioneering and they got us! They shared our passion for ministry, and came alongside us to provide a complete Design-Build service. They gave us the Visioneering look, and the Visioneering expertise in working with the specific needs of ministry. Visioneering worked with our budget to help us get the absolute maximum value for our limited budget, while still ensuring that the worship center would have a great look and functionality. Visioneering brought true expertise to the process, and the end result is an incredible 750 seat state-of-the-art worship center that is extremely well designed, extremely well built, and highly attractive. The best part is that Visioneering was able to accomplish this within the budget we established from the outset. We couldn’t be happier with the work of Visioneering and I can’t recommend Visioneering highly enough!”

I’m a fan of Visioneering!

Blessings,
John Hansen
Lead Pastor, Centerpoint Church

If your ministry is looking for the right partner to guide you through the envisioning, design and building processes…..then you need to look at Visioneering Studios

Coney Island-Where it all started

(park·ol’·o·gy)

n.

1. The systematic study of the art and science of the theme park, especially the study of the origins, organization, development, and nature of said art form.

2. The indulgent ramblings of an industry veteran trying to make sense of it all

also,  park·ol’o·gist n.

Welcome to Parkology. As both a fan and a designer of themed attractions, I’ve been asked by Blooloop, the leading theme park industry website, to create a space to explore the history & future of the form, as well as to reflect on what they mean. Such musings have largely been limited to the Disney Parks in the blogosphere. However, I believe that each theme park has its own story to tell, and that the impact of “Walt’s Revolution” reaches far beyond the landscaped “berm” designed to keep the “real world” out. We’ll also explore how the design of themed attractions have influenced the world that we live, work, worship, and play in.

From Luna Park to Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport, the themed attraction is a unique cultural art form, with its own heritage, trajectory and extremely large canvases!

Houston, we have liftoff!

A Spaceship Named "Luna"

Luna Park

Contrary to popular opinion, it didn’t start with a mouse. It also didn’t start with Walt sitting on a bench at Griffith Park eating peanuts while his daughters rode a carousel. Although Knott’s Berry Farm has hung its cowboy hat on being “America’s First Theme Park,” I’d give the plaque to Luna Park.

Stereoscopic (prehistoric ViewMaster) view of Luna Park

Luna Park was actually built on the site of the first gated amusement park on Coney Island New York, Sea Lion Park. One of its founding partners Fred Thompson, knew enough about architecture to be dangerous.  The Chicago World’s Fair’s “White City” was a neoclassical vision of Heaven by day and an electric “city on a hill” by night that burned itself into the collective memory of 27 million of Americans that witnessed it during its 6 month run. Its “Midway Plaisance” international amusement zone established the linear mall layout that has been emulated hundreds of times around the world.  It served as the model of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition which featured one of the first “E-Ticket” attractions: “A Trip to the Moon.” The runaway hit was inspired by the silent film of the same name by George Melies (whose amazing talent and story is featured in my favorite film of the year, “Hugo”).

1901 Pan-American Exposition Midway

Melies' Le Voyage Dans La Lune

Rather than simply fusing the “Midway” layout with the neoclassical architecture of the White City (like dozens of uninspired copycats from neighboring Dreamland to the dozens of Electric Parks and White Cities across the US), Thompson intentionally designed the first gated theme park around his “E-Ticket” attraction…and what a theme it was: a city on the moon!  “A Trip to the Moon,” was an extravaganza that was not surpassed until Walt Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” six decades later.  In a precursor to the motion simulators and 4D theaters of today, your Victorian spaceship seats pitched as painted scenic canvases rolled past portholes simulating a fantastical space voyage. Upon landing you exited the spacecraft and were greeted with sensual “Moon Maidens” offering a taste of cheese pulled off the cavern walls. Talk about a multi-sensory experience!

A Trip to the Moon "post show"

Like today’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the anchor attraction was embedded in an immersive environment which extends the story beyond the ride time. Outside “A Trip to the Moon” the fantasy continued with a lunar cityscape consisting of hundreds of towers and minarets described by visitors as an “electric Baghdad by the sea.” Rather than choosing a known historic geography or even directly interpreting a known media property (Melies’ “A Trip to the Moon” silent movie, the first “sci-fi” blockbuster), Thompson and his business partner “Skip” Dundy, loosely appropriated exotic architectural details from throughout Asia and the Middle East in a wholly original composition, using sophisticated scaling techniques such as forced perspective. Entered from an iconic gateway on Surf Avenue, the vista was closed by deflecting the linear “Midway” axis, creating a sense of discovery. Multiple levels included elevated terraces and promenades culminating in the iconic “Shoot the Chutes” ride (the first flume ride, one of the few holdovers from Sea Lion Park).

"Electric Baghad by the Sea"

At the scale of just one of Disney’s “lands” (22 acres), Thompson & Dundy had elevated the pleasure garden and amusement park into an wholly immersive, multisensory environmental experience which transported visitors away from the grim urban reality of turn of the century New York. A new art form had been invented: the theme park.

Luna Park's Midway

The Knott's map from my first trip

Many long-term residents are saddened by the changes that have transpired since the shift from family ownership to the Cedar Fair corporation. Whether it is Knott’s Lagoon, the Church of the Reflections (when it actually was reflected in the lake), Knott’s Bear-y Tales, El Camino Real, and (for those of us Gen Xers) Studio K, many “lost” attractions all bring back fond memories. My generally positive perspective on Knott’s might surprise some. Part of it is because of the recent hiring of Matt Ouimet as President of Cedar Fair, the company that owns the place. Matt has a great reputation as the former President of Disneyland as well as President of Starwood Hotels (my favorite hotel chain, which includes Westin and W Hotels). The other reason for my outlook is the critical mass of “good bones” that still create the foundation for a unique experience that has carved a “true survivor” spot between Disney’s immaculate conception, Universal’s “Intellectual Property” extravaganzas, and Six Flags’ iron ride marathon. As a theme park designer, I have to respect the truly designed spaces that talented Art Directors like Paul Van Klieben, Rolly Crump, Robin Hall, and Eddie Sotto have brought to Knott’s over the years. Many of them did their jobs so well, that most people assume that their creations are real.

Paul von Klieben's "Main Street of Ghost Town"

Church of the Reflections

The biggest problem/challenge of Knott’s is that it is really easy for all of its “special sauce” to get lost beneath the new steel and iron layers of coaster tracks and thrill structures that either oppress or impress (based on your perspective). So here is my top 10 “not-to-be missed” list for Knott’s in no order:
1. The food: the wait for Mrs Knott’s biscuits, jams, boysenberry juice and chicken dinners are the entire reason for this place being anything other than a berry patch. Fortunately, the food (and unfortunately the wait) is still there. Add to that the ability to belly up to an incredibly realistic bar at Calico Saloon for a cold Sarsaparilla, the insanely good funnel cake/ice cream combo and the recent addition of Pink’s dogs, and you rise above the (admittedly low) bar of theme park fare.
2. Hidden treasures: Too many to list individually, from the hand-carved mannequins, animated Ghost town interiors, to the nooks and crannies such as the alley that leads to poor ole Sad Eye Joe and the first “interactive” theme park attraction. See if you can find the lil’ devil responsible for the hand sculpted volcano!
3. Getting held up in a “tax audit” as you ride the real Rio Grande railroad trains
4. Glimpsing the “Glory Hole” on the immersive Calico Mine Train, Knott’s first “E-Ticket” ride.
5. The Timber Mountain Log Ride went on to inspire copycat rides around the world, including Disney’s own Splash Mountain, but it is still one of the best all-ages family rides around.
6. Camp Snoopy was the first and still one of the best theme lands in the world specifically focused on kids. In addition to the pint-sized rides and Peanuts characters, this one stands out for its High Sierra landscape features and setting, including barrel bridges, waterfalls, shady trees and multiple levels.
7. Independence Hall: This lovingly authentic, brick by brick replica of the original in Philadelphia is amazing in how far off the radar screen it is to the average Knott’s visitor.
8. Mystery Lodge: My jaded teenager (who has been to many of the top Disney/Universal theme parks in the world) could absolutely not figure out how they pulled off the special hologram effects in this jewel of an attraction capturing the spirit of a Native American “campfire” tale.
9. Ghost Rider: Since this list is starting to make me sound like a Grandpa, it should be noted that Knott’s management has stayed competitive by adding a decent roster of thrill rides. This classic “woodie” uses the old “Pan for Gold” area for its entrance and integrates into the theme and edge of Ghost Town far better than the Silver Bullet suspended coaster on its opposite side.
10. The LA audience: Other Cedar Fair parks tend to be in relatively homogeneous population zones where the primary non-white color is sun-burned red. Because of its aggressive discounting and relatively urban location, the Knott’s audience represents the “stew” that is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the world. The crowd of blacks, whites, Muslims, and Latinos learning to line dance to hip hop music in Calico Square last night was a highlight. It got me thinking about joining in the line dance someday in the City where “all the colors will bleed into one.”

Visioneering Studios West

We recently had a chance to host our first-ever “open-house” of our new Visioneering Studios-West location. However, rather than a familiar crowd of family and friends, we opened ourselves up to the “friendly fire” of some of the top international theme park & attraction designers in the world. We hosted the Themed Entertainment Association, what I jokingly refer to as the “ex-Disney/Universal recovery group.” TEA represents the “creators of compelling places and experiences.”

The Garden Room

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and industry alumni, as well as to announce the launch of our very own VSI Leisure Group, a studio within Visioneering re-focusing on the industry that was our “training camp.”
I personally enjoyed walking guys that “Imagineered” EPCOT through our space, which was designed to be a metaphoric walk from the “Garden” to the “City”, following the story arc of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Upon entering our lobby, visitors enter a “spa-like” lobby with exotic hardwoods, and exotic curios collected from our Third World community development projects.

Uptown "Corporate" District

The journey progresses towards towards a more “corporate district” made up of cooler tones. We ended the evening loitering in Visioneering’s SoHo lounge, representing the cultural creative bohemian downtown district.

SoHo Lounge a.k.a. "my office"

“Everyone was overwhelmingly impressed with your projects and facility…We appreciate your participation in TEA and look forward to another successful “Behind the Orange Curtain” event soon”.
-Lynn Allmandinger, TEA Western Division V.P.

"Like describing the ocean to fish"

I was honored to be invited to speak at Q in Portland, a “Ted” style gathering which focuses on “Ideas for the common good.” I had 9 minutes to cover urbanism from our American “City on a Hill” to suburbia to the redemption of cities & space as evidenced in Portland. As I mention in the clip, I felt that it was a bit like trying to explain the ocean that we all move, breathe and live in, but are largely not that aware of.