Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Tuesday that it plans to move its corporate headquarters from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Arlington by approximately March 2027.
The return reverses the headquarters decision that followed Cedar Fair’s 2024 merger, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Corporate leadership and shared business functions will work at or near Choctaw Stadium, which is already home to part of the company’s corporate workforce.
“Arlington is an outstanding location for our headquarters and supports our long-term vision for growth,” John Reilly, Six Flags’ president and CEO, said in the announcement.
Six Flags did not say how many jobs will move. It said many Charlotte employees can relocate and that its Sandusky, Ohio, office will remain open.
What Taxpayers Previously Funded
Arlington’s taxpayer-backed headquarters agreement is not new. The City Council voted 9-0 on October 15, 2019, to approve a Chapter 380 agreement supporting Six Flags’ earlier headquarters move to 1000 Ballpark Way, Suite 400, at Choctaw Stadium.
The agreement authorized up to $9 million. That included as much as $6 million to reimburse eligible relocation and office costs, plus up to $3 million through annual $200,000 grants from 2021 through 2035, subject to appropriation in the city budget.
City registers show a $6 million payment in 2020 and three $200,000 payments from 2021 through 2023. The documented total reached $6.6 million by August 31, 2023.
Those payments supported the earlier Arlington headquarters move. They predated Tuesday’s announcement and did not finance the later move to Charlotte.
In exchange, Six Flags agreed to maintain its headquarters at the Arlington offices through September 30, 2035, and keep at least 120 permanent full-time jobs there.
No New Incentive Announced
After the 2024 merger, the combined company placed its headquarters in Charlotte. Arlington’s FY2025 disclosure still listed the 2019 agreement as active.
Tuesday’s announcement identified no new city incentive. Arlington’s August 25 City Council agenda also contained no new Six Flags agreement or amendment.
The $6 million reimbursement period expired December 31, 2020, so the return does not reopen it. Additional annual grants remain subject to the agreement and city budget appropriations. The city and Six Flags have not said how the Charlotte period will affect future payments.
Provided by Dallas Express
