Save Lucy Committee announced that it has been awarded a $350,000 grant for Lucy the Elephant’s interior restoration with the help of Senator Cory Booker’s advocacy in Congress.
“We thank Senator Booker for continuing to make Lucy a national treasure and a priority for federal funding,” Save Lucy Committee Executive Director Richard Helfant said.
Last year, Senator Booker ensured that Lucy was high on the list for Congressionally Directed Spending, only to have all funding eliminated by the federal Department of Government Efficiency.
Senator Cory Booker stated, “Since I was a kid, I’ve been coming down to Margate. Lucy is part of our heritage, and we should do everything we can to support and preserve it.”
In 2022, a $2.4 million exterior restoration on the 143-year-old attraction was completed which repaired and replaced deteriorating sections of the wooden framing and installed all new metal “skin” cladding using Monel400 before applying a specially formulated coating system from Acrymax.
The total cost of Lucy’s interior restoration is estimated to be $1.2 million, which will repair the water-damaged plaster walls, resurface the wooden floors, replace the original HVAC system and update the fire-suppression system of the landmark.
“On behalf of the Save Lucy Committee, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Senator Cory Booker for championing and securing this significant grant, which plays a vital role in preserving Lucy the Elephant and insuring that this beloved National Historic Landmark continues to inspire visitors from all over the World for generations to come,” said Save Lucy Committee Board President Jason Tell.
Funding from the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures Program and the New Jersey Historic Trust have been awarded for this project, allowing the Save Lucy Committee to complete a full restoration of Lucy the Elephant for the second time since acquiring the structure in 1970. Federal and State grants were secured by Rutala Associates, a local planning firm.
The Save Lucy Committee plans to break ground on a state-of-the-art visitor center this Spring, featuring a new interpretive space that will bring improved ADA-accessibility to Lucy the Elephant, public comfort facilities, and a larger retail space with integrated exhibits that will dramatically enhance the overall visitor experience at the site.
Completion of the visitor center is expected in 2027, with funding commitments from the City of Margate, the Save Lucy Committee and private donors, along with additional funding anticipated from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
