Elsewhere in the Zamperla empire A
ntonio Zamperla Spa is a theme park industry veteran, heading up one of the only truly global ride
design and manufacturing businesses. The company has a network of eight
offices around the world and in addition to designing rides for the major theme park operators, also has the contract to manage two attractions in New York City, the Victorian Gardens in Central Park and – since 2010 – the world famous Luna Park in Coney Island. I suggest to Zamperla that these two
management contracts are a well-kept secret and he explains the twists of fate which brought his business to be work- ing with [now former] New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. “My son went to the US to open an
office,” he says, “and came to the atten- tion of city officials who invited us to tender for the management of Victoria Gardens.” The company won the bid and city officials were sufficiently impressed to issue a further invitation when the tender came up to run the newly reconstructed Luna Park in 2010. “We encountered protests when we
won the Coney Island contract,” says Zamperla. “Some Americans said ‘why do we want these Italians here?’ But Bloomberg said he believed we’d do a good job – he stood by us.” “Coney Island was the site of the first Luna Park in 1903,” says Zamperla. “It’s
AM 1 2014 ©cybertrek 2014
an historic location. The Luna Parks were a romantic notion from the novels of Jules Verne and are based on the mystery of the trip to the moon: the opening of the Luna Park in Coney Island was followed by others around the world, many of which are still operating today.” The original park burned down and closed in 1944 to be replaced by other amusements. Then in 2005, the Coney Island Development Corporation published a revitalisation plan, with the intention of preserving and grow- ing the historic amusement area and creating a mixed-use neighbourhood with retail and housing. “Brooklyn was the borough with the highest
The Italian company won the bid to manage the reinvented Luna Park at Coney Island in New York
unemployment,” says Zamperla, “and Bloomberg wanted to to do something to help, by rejuvenating Coney Island.” By July 2009, the City had passed a
Coney Island re-zoning plan, enabling the development of the brand new Luna Park which opened in May 29, 2010. It has 19 attractions, all designed and manufactured by Zamperla. But the Coney Island contact wasn’t all plain sailing: “When we arrived, people had been putting up buildings without permits and we had to reclaim the area, install metres and take over the bars, restaurants and amusements on the boardwalk,” says Zamperla. “There were protests and teething
problems with local troublemakers and the police had to guard the area at night, but things gradually improved and today the area has been tranformed.” Hurricane Sandy hit hard: “We were
Company founder Antonio (3rd from left) and son Alberto, on his right
overwhelmed by dirty, salty water and sewage,” says Zamperla. “We realised we’d have to rewire and replaster to avoid problems cropping up in the sea- son – and we’d it done by March.” Today, Luna Park continues to develop, with new investment planned. Zamperla says: “We’re adding a thunderball rollercoaster next. It’ll be open by May 2014 for the new season.” l
Read Attractions Management online
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