Could a vertical roller coaster and drop tower hybrid be
coming to Atlantic City's Boardwalk?
A Florida-based developer, who is currently in the midst
of developing a $460 million entertainment complex in Orlando, is reportedly in
talks to bring the major attraction to the city.
Developer Joshua Wallack of Wallack Holdings, met with
Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and Councilman Frank M. Gilliam Jr. on Tuesday
to discuss the construction of a combined vertical roller coaster, or
“polercoaster,” and drop tower structure, according to sources. The height of
the structure has not yet been determined, they said.
The attraction would most likely be located on the site
of the former Sands Atlantic City casino-hotel, which is currently owned by
Pinnacle Atlantic City, said sources, who also said the plan could include
leasing about one acre of the 18-acre site.
The attraction could open as early as spring 2017, the
source said. No price tag has been attached yet.
“We have interest in building an incredible polercoaster
on a prime boardwalk site conditioned upon receiving certain economic
incentives from local and state authorities, as well as an approved
redevelopment plan and any other regulatory approval that we need,” Wallack
said.
Guardian and Gilliam did not immediately return a request
for comment.
Wallack is developing the $460 million Skyplex
entertainment complex in Orlando, Fla. It will include a 460-foot-tall SkyFall
drop tower, a 570-foot-tall SkyScraper polercoaster, a 600-foot SkyFly zipline
attraction, and Sky Plaza, an open-air promenade.
The SkyFall drop tower will be the world’s tallest drop
ride attached to a support structure, according to News 13. You can see what it
would be like to ride the attraction here.
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If the project comes to fruition, the mega-coaster
attraction could be a huge boon for Atlantic City, particularly at a time when
it's trying to reinvent itself and focus more on non-gaming amenities, which
includes Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein's The Playground development.
Four of Atlantic City's 12 casinos closed last year,
including the troubled Revel and Showboat properties. The remaining casinos
reported higher profits in the first quarter of 2015, which could signal that
the city doesn't need more gambling units.
Wallack is managing principal at Skyplex, the
polercoaster’s developer and the chief operating officer of Mango’s Tropical
Café.
Source: Philadelphia
Business Journal
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