Lucy The Elephant Gets Big Tax Credit Windfall
If you looked at what Lucy the Elephant looked like in the late 1960s, you'd be shocked.
She was condemned, falling apart, and her future was bleak.
That was before the Save the Lucy Committee stepped in a went to work.
In 1970, they moved Lucy to her current location - two blocks away - and began a transformation that continues to this day.
Today, Lucy stands proud with a reconstructed exterior that's almost indestructible.
Big news just received: Lucy will continue to move forward thanks to some really good news.
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Some Awesome News From Margate, New Jersey's Lucy the Elephant
America's oldest roadside attraction is getting a big shot in the arm.
Lucy the Elephant will be receiving a $5.4 million tax credit award from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Lucy, run by the non-profit organization, Save Lucy Committee, will now be able to see some much hoped-for improvements, including a new visitor and interpretative center, the completion of Lucy's interior restoration, and a word-class park surrounding her.
Richard Helfant is the executive director of Lucy the Elephant says this is big news for our favorite elephant: "After 17 months of uncertainty and perseverance, we have finally reached a turning point."
This is a idea of what improvements may look like around Lucy, although these aren't the final plans:
Lucy the Elephant's History
Lucy the Elephant was built on the beach - a couple of block away from her current location - in 1881. She was built by a businessman to attract people to the site to sell real estate.
She was soon sold to owners of a hotel who used Lucy to entertain their guests.
Eventually, after a hurricane in 1944, Lucy was left to deteriorate until the Save the Lucy Committee took over as her "keeper."
Lucy just received a new historical sign from the State of New Jersey earlier this month:
SOURCE: Lucy the Elephant
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Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman
