As Pantheon gradually takes shape in the Festa Italia section of Busch Gardens, the park is also working on a project which, so far, has remained mostly behind the scenes.
Busch Gardens has filed a partial site plan with the James City County Stormwater and Resource Protection Division showing a section of the park near the Rhine River where Project 2021 — the identity of which remains a mystery — will be placed.
The site plan, which was filed Oct. 2 and shows aspects of the attraction that will impact the resource protection area around the Rhine River, indicates a long rectangular “impervious” area in the RPA zone.
The news of the site plans first broke in early October in a post by Busch Gardens Williamsburg Fans, a group of park and coaster enthusiasts that monitors happenings at the park.
Given the shape of the foundations shown in the document and other details in the plans, BGWFans believes Project 2021 could be a roller coaster.
Busch Gardens has not yet officially released any detailed information on the nature of the 355-foot-tall attraction, but called BGWFans’ post on Twitter about the site plans “#FakeNews.”
WYDaily reviewed the partial site plans at the Stormwater and Resource Protection Division to confirm their authenticity.
So far, the group has used leaked documents and other publicly-filed information to make educated guesses about what types of rides are coming into the park.
Busch Gardens officials declined to comment on whether they’re trying to find the source of leaked documents when WYDaily asked in August.
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The previously-leaked documents also showed the attraction may use a coaster station that formerly belonged to Drachen Fire, a roller coaster that shut down in 1998.
If the ride is a coaster, it could be an “absolutely monstrous giga coaster” because of its 355-foot height waiver. Some leaked documents show trains will have four cars each in a two-by-two formation, according to the group.
When working to obtain a height waiver from the county, Busch Gardens officials said the coaster will be spirelike at the top and be about 10 feet wide at the highest point.
