Roller coasters still awaiting assembly at COTA but overall expansion of F1 venue on track, execs say

COTA entering 'next phase' with car condos now under construction

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Dozens of pieces of blue roller coaster sit neatly organized into rows in one of the vast parking lots at the Circuit of The Americas race track in Southeast Austin. While they await assembly, they offer a hint of how the long-planned COTALand amusement park could take shape and advance track executives' goal of becoming more of a year-round entertainment destination.

COTA won't hit a previously announced goal of opening the full park in 2023 but track operators have opened some rides near turns 19 and 20. COTA Chairman Bobby Epstein this month said they would have liked to have started the amusement park long ago but blamed delays on "significant" disruptions to production and shipping.

"There was also no reason to build a partial park, so we have been waiting for the major attractions to be fabricated and arrive on property," he said in a July 7 email. "In addition, COTA already has a significant amount of the necessary infrastructure already in place, so the incremental cost to incorporate an amusement park was much lower than it would have otherwise been."

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