Plans for $750 million theme park in north Georgia ‘on hold’
EMERSON, Ga. — Almost a year after a groundbreaking that never happened, Avatron Smart Park, a $750-million technology-centred theme park planned to be built in Emerson announced Monday that it is shutting down.
“After some 24 months of extensive planning and project fundraising, and despite near completion of Phase 1 project components, the AVATRON Park project is closing its doors,” said David Garrett III, CEO of Avatron USA Development LLC in an open letter to Bartow County.
“Because of your tremendous and unwavering support of all things AVATRON, we pause to share with you the rationale for shutting down a project so near and dear to me and our team as well as Georgia and Bartow County residents,” the letter states.
Garrett appeared before the Emerson City Council in May, 2015 to announce Avatron’s intention to develop a 712-acre park near Paga Mine Road called Avatron Smart Park featuring a “totally immersive, technology-driven theme park drawing on the expertise of Hollywood’s leading visual effects professionals.”