Good news for Lucy the Elephant

The pride of Margate, Lucy the Elephant, is going to stay put, assuming the city and the Save Lucy Committee both vote affirmatively on a new deal. The Press of Atlantic City reports that the two groups are expected to reach agreement on a twenty year deal to keep the New Jersey icon in Margate. One of the main points of contention between the two groups was any future development of the land on which Lucy stands; no development will be undertaken without the committee’s approval under the new agreement.

There had been rumors that a new hotel would be going up last year that might affect or even displace Lucy. The committee has been around since 1969, looking out for the best interests of the elephant and have been responsible for all the renovations she has gone through since then; they are now raising $500,000 for a surface restoration project. They hope to have her looking spiffy for next year which will mark Lucy’s 50th anniversary at her current location on Decatur Avenue. The six story roadside attraction dates its creation back to 1881 and she was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

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