View of the beachfront construction site at Cedar Point, as seen from the Giant Wheel.

SANDUSKY, Ohio – A solid wood fence hides the construction taking place on the former site of Cedar Point’s Wicked Twister roller coaster. But take a trip aboard the park’s 145-foot tall Giant Wheel and it’s easy to see what’s happening below.

What’s less clear: What exactly is it that’s being built?

Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark declined to say, offering only, “We’re building for the future. More to come later this summer.”

Building permits filed this spring with the city of Sandusky offer a clue, describing the structure as a two-story “foods building,” with 25,700 square feet of space, valued at $12 million. The contractor listed is Gilbane Building Co. in Columbus.

“The plans do not say what food outlets are going to be located within it, but it is rather large so most likely it is going to have multiple vendors,” said Scott Thom, chief building official for the city, in response to a request to see the permit.

He added that the structure is being built adjacent to the boardwalk and will provide “views of Lake Erie while dining.”

He said he was not able to release copyright-protected architectural drawings of the structure under construction.

Views from atop the Ferris wheel show a labyrinth of concrete slabs, outfitted with wood structures, in what appears to be a building foundation.

Online reaction to the possibility of a new food venue has been mixed. “Enough with the restaurants, give us another roller coaster,” wrote one fan on Cedar Point Nation.

“I just hope there’s a lot of waterfront area to enjoy and this doesn’t block off too much of the view,” wrote another. “The park doesn’t really give much space for people inside park gates to appreciate the lake.”

Carsten Anderson, who runs the Cedar Point fan website CP Rundown, said he likes the idea of an attraction that draws people to the water. “I think Cedar Point is missing that big boardwalk ‘thing’ for resort guests to do while staying there,” he said. “If it ends up being that I think this will create a huge draw, as I’ve seen people are wanting to hang out after the park closes for the night so why not do something like that?”

The prime beachfront site became available last year when Cedar Point dismantled Wicked Twister, a steel roller coaster built in 2002. The coaster had fallen out of favor in recent years.

Adjacent to the Wicked Twister site is another prime piece of vacant land, the former home to the Extreme Sports Stadium, which came down in 2017. That site is serving as a staging area for the new building – so remains available for future construction. And future speculation.

Anderson noted that the park could also move several smaller rides in the area, including the Giant Wheel and Tiki Twirl, opening up even more space for future construction.

Cedar Point reopens nature-themed Sawmill Creek, a newly renovated resort without the roller coaster vibes

A solid fence hides construction on the former site of Wicked Twister roller coaster at Cedar Point.

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