49ers, Amusement Park Owner Meet To Discuss Stadium Plan

Cedar Fair, which owns the Great American amusement park in Santa Clara, said that it is “no longer opposed to the [49ers'] plan to build a stadium in an adjoining parking lot,” but the company “isn’t quite ready to back the project,” according to Swift & Patel of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS.  Cedar Fair spokesperson Stacy Frole: “We’re at the point now where we have received information, however, we need to analyze that information before any decision can be made.”  Swift & Patel note the company “has an effective veto over the project.”  Its land lease with Santa Clara allows the city to “redevelop the parking lot with Great America’s written agreement, but the city must maintain 8,100 parking spaces near the park’s front entrance.”  Cedar Fair CFO Peter Crage spent six hours on Tuesday meeting with city officials and 49ers execs including Special Projects Manager Jed York and CFO Larry MacNeil, and the two sides emerged “talking about ways to collaborate.”  Deputy City Manager Carol McCarthy said the sides discussed “possible partnerships” at the meeting.  49ers VP/Communications Lisa Lang said that the team “shared demographic and marketing information about fans and season-ticket holders” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/12).