Bay Beach looking to add roller coaster

GREEN BAY - The fun and thrills are wrapping up for the year at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay.

"It's a little bittersweet that it's the last weekend but it has been a long season and we're already starting to pre-plan for next year," said Tina Westergaard, the special facilities manager at Bay Beach Amusement Park.

That plan includes looking into buying a family friendly roller coaster, among other new rides. Westergaard said adding a roller coaster is the top priority as the park continues to expand.

"People are very interested in bringing one back since we had one many, many years ago so we're doing a lot of research," said Westergaard.

In fact, there hasn't been a roller coaster at Bay Beach since 1936. 95-year-old Eleanor Davison remembers riding on it when she was a young girl.

"That's what we did. It was a great thing to go to 'The Beach.' We'd take the street car out here in the morning, bring our lunch, ride, then have our lunch, get on the street car and go back home,"  said Davison.

Purchasing a roller coaster would have to be approved by the city council. Parks officials said they're still talking about costs and whether they would buy an old ride or commission a new one.

Parks Director Bill Landvatter said the city has a few options for purchase and is looking for permission to continue with the process.

There is no funding mechanism in place, but could include a combination of donations, borrowing and capital expenditure. The earliest a roller coaster could be in place is the 2011 season, Landvatter said.

The city is looking for a family roller coaster - something bigger than a kiddie coaster but nothing on the scale that large amusement parks have. It would likely be located on the west side of the park.

Families we spoke say it would be just another reason to come and visit.

"I think anytime the park expands it's a good thing. The kids love it," said Eric Siudzinski of Green Bay.

"A roller coaster would be something different that you can't really get around here. The closest roller coast is probably the Wisconsin Dells, so I think it'd be a great idea," Siudzinski added.

A city council committee is set to discuss the issue at a meeting coming up on Wednesday.