Beachwood Gets Its Own Dinosaur Sculpture

Mark Stanfield of Empire Masonry has been eating at the Sand Castle Diner for 25 years. After his company reconstructed Bud the Bayville Dinosaur, he had an idea for another creation.

Stanfield has performed work at the Beachwood diner before. He showed diner owner Johnny Agrapidyes a sketch for a project everyone would notice. He proposed building a dinosaur sculpture under the Sand Castle Diner sign, giving Bud a Route 9 neighbor.

"He sold me on it," Agrapidyes said. "It’s something people can look at when they go by and maybe associate with the place."

Stanfield completed most of the dinosaur's framework in his home. Then the new dinosaur was placed under the sign in the past couple days.

Agrapidyes said they remaining dinosaur work should be done in the next few days. Work will include filling it with concrete, completing electric for the lights in it and painting the outside.

Bud the Bayville Dinosour has stood on Route 9 since the 1930s, marking the midpoint between New York City and Atlantic City. The longtime landmark got a new lease on life following a three-year restoration project.

But now Bud has some friendly competition populating Route 9, giving drivers another interesting, prehistoric sight.