After months of delays and huge cost overruns, the rehabilitation of the Lucy the Elephant is finally nearing the end.

The Save Lucy Committee says things are on track for a grand unveiling celebration in Margate for Dec. 14 or 15.

For more than a year, crews have been replacing rotted timbers inside the iconic pachyderm and then applying a brand new metal skin.

On Monday, came the big test. Would it leak?

The Margate City Fire Department used fire hoses to give Lucy a big bath, testing the new skin for leaks.

Initial reports are good. There were a few small leaks, but officials say it is nothing that would delay their plans to reopen before Christmas.

A huge scaffold remains around Lucy, but should start coming down soon after the minor repairs are concluded.

Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
loading...
Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
loading...
Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
Facebook/Lucy the Elephant
loading...
Lucy the Elephant
loading...

NJ.com reports the biggest area of concern is the skylight that on the floor of Lucy's howdah, but it is believed to be a relatively easy fix.

Despite plans to unveil the new skin in December, there is still work to be done on the interior. That may not be completed until Spring of 2023, but the hope is to reopen the interior in time for summer tours.

Cost overruns have topped $1 million. A benefit concert will be held at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City on Dec. 11 featuring Deana Martin. She is the daughter of Rat Pack icon Dean Martin. Tickets are available by clicking this link.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

The 99 top paying jobs in New Jersey

How much do you make? These are the occupations in New Jersey with the highest median annual compensation. Source: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022

LOOK: Here's where people in every state are moving to most

Stacker analyzed the Census Bureau's 2019 American Community Survey data to determine the three most popular destinations for people moving out of each state.

How much does the average NJ home cost? Median prices by county

Everything is costing more these days — and housing is certainly no exception in New Jersey.

Data for 2022 from January through August, compiled by New Jersey Realtors, shows that South Jersey has been seeing homes hit the market and sell in less than a month, on average.

Median prices for single-family homes have reached $500,000 and above in nine counties in North and Central Jersey.

All but two counties have seen houses go for more than the list price, on average, this year.

More From 92.7 WOBM