Plans for DeKalb amusement park ends in foreclosure

Developers had big plans for a 32-acre plot of land just north of I-20 in southeast DeKalb County: an amusement park, indoor water park, 6,500 seat arena and hotel conference center, all with a theme based on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

But despite more than four years of planning, it appears the project, known as Grand Empire Palace & Resort, will never be built.

The property has entered the foreclosure process and is scheduled to be auctioned off next Tuesday.

The forced sale promises to end a wild ride for the would-be amusement park developers that included a bankruptcy filing and a multi-million lawsuit from an Atlanta contractor claiming it had not been paid.

In September 2007, the developers, Atlanta-based Top Flight Development Group., held a community meeting in Lithonia to unveil drawings of the theme park and to announce plans for an even larger second phase that would include a golf course and indoor theme park.

But plans failed to materialize as developers could never secure financing and decided to settle the lawsuit for $3 million. The 32-acre site was graded, but no construction took place.

Top Flight officials, including the company’s attorney, could not be reached for comment.

The property is valued by the county at $2.1 million, according to DeKalb County property tax records.

Lee May, the DeKalb County commissioner who represents the area, said Grand Empire was an ambitious project that he believes would have drawn visitors from far beyond the county lines and even from outside the state.

The property is next to Interstate 20 and the Mall at Stonecrest. DeKalb has had high hopes for the area since the mall opened about a decade ago. The county targeted the area for intense development, with stores, offices, entertainment and housing.

May said he’d like to see another “destination” development on the Fun World property someday, perhaps a project with “higher end” shops and restaurants. “I would love to see a mixed-use development,” he said.

Staff write Ty Tagami contributed to this article.