GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Bay Beach Amusement Park is starting to get the pieces in place for a new summer attraction.
When complete, the “Big Wheel” will be taller than a ten-story building.
Chance Rides Manufacturing Inc., located in Wichita, Kansas, is in charge of building the summer attraction.
Jason Arnoldi, Green Bay Parks Facilities Superintendent, says the first couple truckloads of parts arrived on Monday and Tuesday.
In order to put those parts in place though, a team has been busy working throughout the winter.
“Throughout the winter we had to run electric, we had to run ethernet cable, and all that as far as getting the ride to run,” he explains. “Really kind of dig up the area there and essentially rebuild it there for the base of the Ferris Wheel.”
The parts that arrived the past few days are mainly part of the foundation, because like anything else the Big Wheel has to be built from the ground up.
“Basically it’s getting the base of it down and the towers, the legs that hold it up,” says Arnoldi.
It turns out that Monday and Tuesday are just the tip of the iceberg in the process of receiving all the parts necessary to construct the ride.
“We’ll be slowly bringing more and more of the parts in as the days and weeks come on,” he says.
In fact, Arnoldi says it’ll take around fifteen more truckloads to come in until they have all the parts needed.
That process will be ongoing throughout the next few weeks as they look to build on the base.
“We have all the framing yet that has to come in, all the gondolas that you ride in have to come in,” says Arnoldi. “So a pretty big portion of it needs to arrive yet.”
Bay Beach has been trying to get the attraction ready for the summer, but harsh winter weather has tossed construction crews a curveball.
Nonetheless, Arnoldi says they are doing their best to stay on schedule.
“Obviously some of this weather will produce some delays, but we’re hoping that everything will keep mostly on track and get this up hopefully sometime around, or just after, Memorial Day this year,” he explains.
Around $3.5 million has been raised for the project, $2.1 million in donations through the nonprofit group Friends of Bay Beach and $1.4 million by the city of Green Bay.
