Cedar Point beach construction gone vertical

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. So where were we in relation to the new construction going on over at Cedar Point on the site of the former Wicked Twister midway? While we have delved into the new signage on the fence surrounding the site hinting toward a new bath house/dining hall, it has been a while since we have taken a peek over the fence. Today's update can be seen quite clearly from the ground as the structure has now gone vertical enough to peek over the wall. Two large concrete block structures are now in place which hints toward elevator shafts to the various levels of the proposed building. In addition, with foundations now backfilled, the area has gone vertical with structural steel supports and beams now in place on the southern end of the building. To see more, we opted to take a ride on the Giant Wheel/Ferris Wheel, which at the beginning of the 2022 season, Cedar Point's website was updated to allow on-rode photos on select rides previously excluded. But since publishing that article, Cedar Point has since removed any reference to allowing on-ride photography on any ride. Yet they made no formal announcement of the change in policy, so it is unclear which is being enforced. From the Ferris Wheel, guests can now see the northern end of the building now has all of the steel on-site, ready for assembly. This brings us back to a previous discussion on a new fence that appeared surrounding an area by the Cedar Point Express hotel and behind the Prayers from Maria sunflower field. In the article "Cedar Point 'on the fence' for 2023," we discussed how it made little sense that the park would be storing materials here for the new beachfront building, which appears pretty relevant given the current site progress and storing of materials on-site. This further anchors the discussion that the off-site storage area is likely to be for a ride. During this week's analysis of the site, there has been no apparent work in the area that would signify the start of an attraction. This week Cedar Point's sister park, Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, disclosed its big announcement is coming on Aug. 11. Therefore, it is more than likely Cedar Point will follow suit right around the same time. In addition, National Roller Coaster Day is Aug. 16, so anywhere within that timeline makes sense for an announcement from Cedar Point. The only other notable work on the site is at the far north end, which has a wet retainage pond. While we presume this is likely temporary and will be filled in before project completion, we also would not be surprised if the park plans to utilize the space for stormwater retention to help with some of the park flooding experiences throughout the year. This could either remain open as an above-ground basin, or they could enclose it and put in large oversized pipes to help control excess water — though either of these seems unlikely, given the sandy soils and being so close to Lake Erie. The next couple of weeks is going to potentially be very interesting, as the park gears up for what is to come.