Beach swap plan to help Casino Pier expand approved

    The JetStar roller coaster once sat at the end of a longer Casino Pier. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

    The JetStar roller coaster once sat at the end of a longer Casino Pier. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

    A beach swap plan that will allow Seaside Heights’ Casino Pier to expand and a carousel to be saved has advanced.

    New Jersey’s State House Commission on Thursday approved the swap of 1.36 acres of beach now owned by Seaside Heights and the Dentzel/Looff carousel owned by the pier.

    The Asbury Park Press reports  the Storino family that owns the pier wants the land to expand to rebuild after part of the pier fell into the ocean during Superstorm Sandy. Officials say a new Ferris wheel and roller coaster are expected to be built.

    The plan was previously approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection. A Seaside Heights resident opposed to the plan is fighting the swap in state court.

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