A.C.’s laser lighthouse may shine in Wildwood

[wildre]

From todays AC Press

A.C.’s laser lighthouse may shine in Wildwood
By MICHAEL B. BAKER Staff Writer, [phone]

ATLANTIC CITY - - The much maligned laser lighthouse that has sat dormant for years at the city's entrance might have found a new home in Wildwood as part of a $3.6 million gateway project.

The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority gave preliminary approval Tuesday to Wildwood's plans to spruce up its entryway on Rio Grande Avenue. Wildwood is requesting $300,000 from the CRDA for the project.

Plans include moving the 90-foot lighthouse from the base of the Atlantic City Expressway to a new location as a Wildwood landmark. The lighthouse opened as part of an Atlantic City entryway park in 1997 and was supposed to have provided a dazzling light show, shooting out brilliantly colored beams. But the lighthouse and the adjacent fountain pool have spent most of their time in Atlantic City shut off.

Engineers have estimated that moving and reinstalling the lighthouse alone will cost almost $1.5 million, and they haven't precisely determined how it will be moved. The lighthouse can be disassembled, but they are still looking at the details, said Susan Ney, the CRDA's assistant deputy director of project development.

"It's something that needs to be done gently," Ney said.

But even without considering the lighthouse, Wildwood's entryway project is still noteworthy, said CRDA Executive Director Curtis Bashaw. The project will install a new $500,000 entrance sign with an electronic message board, according to project cost estimates. It also includes erecting giant stainless steel letters spelling out "Wildwoods" by the Boardwalk.

In the meantime, the CRDA has already been preparing for the lighthouse's departure from Atlantic City. Both the lighthouse and the fountain pool will eventually be displaced by a $155 million expansion of Atlantic City's shopping district The Walk.

To e-mail Michael B. Baker at The Press:

[e-mail]

[MMM]

Why did they stop using it in Atlantic City?

[wildre]

I'm not sure they ever got it to work properly. Or maybe with all the glitzy lighting from the casinos it wasn't effective. I do recall it changing colors back maybe 98 or 99. Think it may have had a fountain, don't recall?

re

[MMM]

If they have the right place to put it, I think it would look great in Wildwood, as long as it will work properly.

[Al Alven]

darkrideguy said:

Its Crap. Typical of Wildwood garbage picking Ac's throwaways. It will break as soon as they install the piece of junk.

If it's so "typical," name one other instance where one of Atlantic City's "throwaways" have wound up in the Wildwoods.

[Crippled_Visions]

alalven said:

darkrideguy said:

Its Crap. Typical of Wildwood garbage picking Ac's throwaways. It will break as soon as they install the piece of junk.

If it's so "typical," name one other instance where one of Atlantic City's "throwaways" have wound up in the Wildwoods.

I think the Zombie World ride on the Wildwood boardwalk came from one of the AC casinos. I also remember an Irish worker losing his leg in that ride.

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Yes cripled this is true, cause when they were building zombie world they had trop world on some of the seats and other stuff. I clearly remember.

[CondorAlex]

crippledvisions said:

alalven said:

If it's so "typical," name one other instance where one of Atlantic City's "throwaways" have wound up in the Wildwoods.

I think the Zombie World ride on the Wildwood boardwalk came from one of the AC casinos. I also remember an Irish worker losing his leg in that ride.

The leg incident happend in "Monster Mash," the ride turned Zombie World the next season. It was the same cars and track too.

[Al Alven]

Ah, Monster Mash. I remembered that Zombie World was not the original name, but I couldn’t remember what the ride was called prior to this. Does anyone remember what year the name change occurred?

And, regardless of what the ride was named, the accident that occurred there, etc., I would hardly characterize Zombie World as a junky Atlantic City “throwaway.”

Whether you like the ride or not, it has done quite well on the Wildwood Boardwalk over the past few years, and is now a reputable fixture.

[Crippled_Visions]

alalven said:

And, regardless of what the ride was named, the accident that occurred there, etc., I would hardly characterize Zombie World as a junky Atlantic City “throwaway.”

I would! I would! I rode Zombie World this season and wish I could have my money back. Not only was it claustrophobic inside, it also seemed like a major fire-trap.

[Al Alven]

crippledvisions said:

alalven said:

And, regardless of what the ride was named, the accident that occurred there, etc., I would hardly characterize Zombie World as a junky Atlantic City “throwaway.”

I would! I would! I rode Zombie World this season and wish I could have my money back. Not only was it claustrophobic inside, it also seemed like a major fire-trap.

The ride is supposed to feel claustrophobic.

It is meant to be a "simulation" of a ride through a sewer system. If it were all roomy and spacious, that probably wouldn't jive too well with the implied theme.

Actually, the interior walls are a lot wider than they seem. They feel even tighter thanks to the "half shell" design of the ride's cars, which block out much of the peripherals and make you feel like you're in much smaller quarters than you are.

As for Zombie World seeming "like a major fire trap," I guess you didn't notice the multiple, very clearly visible EXIT signs located all throughout the ride. As strict as the state of NJ is about such things, trust me, the ride is completely up to code.

[MMM]

I find myself sitting forward in the Zombie World cars a bit, so I can get a good look at everything around me. I doubt that I would have went with enclosed cars if I chose their design. The enclosed cars don't stop me from going on the ride though, but I don't see why open ones wouldn't have been better. Other than that I like the ride.

[Crippled_Visions]

alalven said:

crippledvisions said:

I would! I would! I rode Zombie World this season and wish I could have my money back. Not only was it claustrophobic inside, it also seemed like a major fire-trap.

The ride is supposed to feel claustrophobic.

It is meant to be a "simulation" of a ride through a sewer system. If it were all roomy and spacious, that probably wouldn't jive too well with the implied theme.

Actually, the interior walls are a lot wider than they seem. They feel even tighter thanks to the "half shell" design of the ride's cars, which block out much of the peripherals and make you feel like you're in much smaller quarters than you are.

As for Zombie World seeming "like a major fire trap," I guess you didn't notice the multiple, very clearly visible EXIT signs located all throughout the ride. As strict as the state of NJ is about such things, trust me, the ride is completely up to code.

The ride seems claustrophobic because of the enclosed cars, which block out most of your vision.

So the ride is supposed to be a trip through a sewer system? I would have never guessed that. I thought it was a trip through a material store in Queens...because that's all I saw.

Since the cars are so small and closed in, I was unable to see any fire exits. I just saw walls made out of yards of material that looked like they would catch on fire very quickly. If an electrical problem caused a fire in that ride, it would make the Castle Dracula fire seem like a girl scout camp fire.

[MMM]

I'd hope there are sprinklers in there...