October 31, 2013
Italian Company Proposes Venice Theme Park
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 1 MIN.
An Italian company that built Coney Island's latest attractions and an amusement park in a never-activated nuclear plant in Germany has unveiled plans to invest 80 million euros ($110 million) for a theme park in Venice.
Alberto Zamperla, one of the main investors, said Wednesday the theme park is planned for an abandoned island that once housed an incinerator, bringing economic and environmental benefits by cleaning up a toxic site and creating 500 jobs.
The project envisions a 55-meter (yard)-tall Ferris wheel, a rollercoaster and other rides, alongside installations illustrating the Venetian lagoon's fragile ecology and the city's history.
Zamperla is loath to call it an amusement park - an easy target for detractors in Venice - and the plan still faces a series of approvals.
Matthew Wexler is EDGE's Senior Editor, Features & Branded Content. More of his writing can be found at www.wexlerwrites.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wexlerwrites.
