BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON --
Area thrill-seekers beware: A $35 million investment by Paramount's Kings Island could deliver two new rides even more heart-pounding than The Beast to the Tristate.
Park officials are expected to reveal their plans today during a 2 p.m. press conference at the Warren County theme park.
A new roller coaster and a free-fall drop tower are expected to be among the park's latest attractions, amusement park industry sources said Wednesday.
Kings Island is expected to expand into undeveloped land and open a new "action zone" theme area. That is where the two new rides -- a roller coaster and free-fall, high-rise tower -- would be built.
The multimillion-dollar investment comes as Kings Island is preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the world's longest wooden roller coaster, The Beast, built in 1979 for $6.2 million. The theme park's investment will be more than it cost to build Kings Island in 1972, park spokeswoman Barbara Colnar said.
As the Tristate's top tourist attraction, the park draws about 3.6 million visitors annually, experts have said. It posted $100 million in sales in 1996.
Kings Island employs about 175 full-time and 5,000 seasonal workers.
