Six Flags Great America receives zoning board approval for installation of Chang rollercoaster
Submitted by Nick Sim on Friday, June 4, 2010 20:33
Chang may have found a new home at Six Flags Great America. Image: Pccromeo, Wikimedia Commons
Six Flags Great America is set to become the new home of Kentucky Kingdom's former Chang rollercoaster, after receiving approval from the Gurnee Zoning Board of Appeals.
The board voted unanimously in favor of Great America's application to exceed the 125-foot height limit on rides at the park. Chang, a stand-up coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, stands at 154-feet tall and will be located close to the park's main entrance, on the former site of the closed Space Shuttle America attraction.
No timeline has been given for the installation of the rollercoaster, which is expected to receive a new name and updated theme following its relocation. Fans have expressed surprise at the decision to move the ride to Six Flags Great America, with the park already featuring a B&M stand-up coaster - Iron Wolf, which opened in 1990. This has led to rumors that the ride will receive new "floorless" trains when it arrives at Great America, but the plans submitted to the Zoning Board refer to a stand-up coaster.
Officials from Six Flags Great America stressed that no final decisions have been taken on the installation of Chang. However, park president Hank Salemi hailed the potential new addition, telling the Gurnee Review: "This is our first major thrill ride proposed since Superman in 2003."
Chang set several world records when it opened in 1997. At the time it was the tallest, fastest and longest stand-up coaster in the world - standing 154 feet tall, reaching 65mph and over 4000 feet in length.
The coaster was removed from Kentucky Kingdom shortly before Six Flags closed the park in January this year. Kentucky's State Fair Board has since sued Six Flags for fraud, after it originally claimed that it had removed Chang to make way for an expansion to Kentucky Kingdom's water park.
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Source: Gurnee Review
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