Green Bay park committee wants to move forward to acquire Zippin Pippin rights

I'm pretty confused about this. The ride was demolished, so what are they buying for $3 million, and how does it save them from spending $5 million if they have to use mostly new material anyway?

Even if the ride had not been demolished it would require all/mostly new wood to rebuild. What they're getting, if I understand it correctly, is the salvageable working mechanisms (lift motor, lift chain, anti rollbacks, steel rails, etc) plus the blue prints.

EDIT - check the "comments" section of the newsstory linked above. Of the 18 posted none are in favor of getting Zippin Pippin.

My understanding is that they are purchasing the Plans & Salvageable Parts for $X. They should spell that out in these articles. The public doesn't understand that. Then they should spell out this is what we will be buying new at $X.

I think that would clear things up since the majority thinks they are actually going t o use the existing wood in Memphis to rebuild the ride.

The comments that I saw were pretty even in support and complaint. Another thing you have to remember is most "normal" people only take the time to comment when they have something to complain about.

I think it's awsome in this day in age that a city can take it upon themselves to build a roller coaster at at city park, especially when it's preserving a historic coaster. It still baffles me that here in Michigan, a wooden coaster hasn't been built at Greenfield Village or Crossroads Village. Both places have a historic carousel, trains and a boat ride. A wooden roller coaster just seems like a perfect fit.

If they're paying $3 million for plans and some old parts, I think they're getting ripped off.

Pippin has been SBNO for 4 years. It collapses and then someone wants to buy it?

Maybe Cedar Fair should call them and tell them they have an old coaster that is closer and cheaper.

But weren't the rights to this ride already purchased several years ago by Dollywood (or one of those parks), or have I missed something?

I'm pretty sure they are paying $3 million for the whole thing (name, prints, old parts, new train, new wood, etc). I agree that if the $3 million is just for the "old parts" and prints they are getting hosed.,

"City officials estimate that it would cost $3 million to acquire theZippin Pippin rights and to re-create the coaster here, using largelynew materials."

Sounds like they're saying $3 million and they'll have a fully operating coaster. However, I get a little nervous when I hear any government entity estimate how much something will cost.

$3mill to build a new coaster doesn't sound like too bad of a deal to me. It's a great to see this ride "saved" in some form because it was a great layout. Perfect size to not be too intimidating, but still plenty of airtime to provide a thrilling experience.

They could probably get wood from SOB relatively cheap! Footers and the train will be the main cost.

$3,000,000 does sound to me like a legit estimate to "re-create" the Zippin Pippin, if it was being done by a private amusement park. As mentioned above, government projects don't have a great, uh, "track record" for staying on budget.

I did notice that the upcoming Gravity Group coaster at Quassy (1/2 the length of Zippin Pippin) is estimated at $1.5-2 million (says the park owner). If that is true, would $3 million buy a "Zippin Pippin" sized all new Gravity Group coaster?

In any case, I agree with CPCyclone: it is cool to see a small city build a wooden coaster. Who wouldn't love to see this becoming a trend across the country?

There are a lot more things besides size that determin the cost of a coaster.

AJ's "estimation method" of wooden coasters means that $3M will buy you roughly 1500' of track for a *new* coaster, and 3000' of track for a relocated ride. Since rcdb lists ZP as 2865' long, that $3M would be a reasonable figure *IF* they were relocating the ride....they're not.

Whatever they're paying for the naming rights, etc., it seems to me they shouldn't pay more than 100K over and above the cost of the various parts being acquired (lift motor, chain, etc.).

UPDATE!!

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100303/GPG0101/303055...-3-million