Karls Erlebnis-Dorf is facing a major setback in California as founder Robert Dahl confirmed that every building on the Oxnard property must be demolished due to severe termite damage, delaying the planned West Coast expansion ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, derwesten.de reported.
Termite Damage Forces a Total Rebuild in Oxnard
The expansion into the United States marks a massive undertaking for the German agritourism brand. The initial plan involved acquiring a site at Channel Islands Harbor and integrating existing structures into a master design for the first Karls village outside Europe. That layout collapsed when structural inspectors arrived.
All existing buildings on the property were found to be completely compromised by pests. “All buildings on our property in Oxnard California were soooo gorgeous. We had forged a perfect master plan for Karls and lovingly included all the buildings… until the statistician came,” Dahl wrote on Instagram, noting that the structures were completely eaten away by termites.
Demolition crews have already rolled onto the site to flatten the former Fisherman’s Wharf. The city of Oxnard approved the demolition permits in January, and Dahl finalized a 30-year lease for the land in February before physical teardown work began in August.
An Ambitious Timeline Ahead of the 2028 Olympics
Despite starting over from scratch, project leadership insists the timeline remains intact. The goal is to open the newly constructed site in the spring of 2028, just ahead of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Oxnard Site Approval | January |
| Lease Finalization | February |
| Demolition Phase Begins | August |
| Target Opening | Spring 2028 |
Domestically, the company continues to scale up its footprint. In July 2026, Karls opened its eighth Erlebnis-Dorf in Oberhausen, marking its first location in North Rhine-Westphalia. While that German opening drew immediate public scrutiny over digital payment card systems—prompting swift operational adjustments by management—the brand now channels its focus toward translating its signature strawberry-themed family attractions across the Atlantic.
