Coney Island "Renaissance"

[ZippyTheChimp]

04.01.2009

Coney's New Big Top

Grimshaw-designed amphitheater to
become latest Coney Island icon


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/image/090327_cic_back_upper.jpg
Grimshaw has designed a new amphitheater as part of the Coney Center.
Courtesy Grimshaw


It has been rough sailing out at Coney Island of late, with the destruction of Astroland last winter and simmering tensions about the city’s rezoning proposal. But good news has started to trickle in this week, with the announcement Monday that $15 million in stimulus money would go toward replacing parts of the decaying boardwalk. That was followed yesterday by word of the possible creation of an “interim” amusement park next year so the summer escape will not be a total wasteland when the city rebuilds it.

And now comes the biggest show by the sea since Dreamland burned down, the new Coney Center, a $47 million amphitheater designed by Grimshaw. The project will replace a 1980s bandshell located in Asser Levy Park (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/assets/photos/31/44/31_44_asserlevybandshell_z.jpg) with a new 8,000-seat entertainment complex meant to attract marquee acts. Capping it all is a swooping, 60,000-square-foot roof in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid—picture a massive Pringles potato chip, but made of steel and translucent fiberglass, supercharged by hundreds of strobing stage lights.

Mark Husser, the partner-in-charge, sees the theater as the latest in a long line of Coney icons, both historic and geographic: the Parachute Jump, Keyspan Park, the defunct Elephant Hotel, the Cyclone, and now Coney Center. “What is the context of Coney Island? It’s that there is no context,” Husser said. “Everything is unique, everything is a spectacle, but in that uniqueness, Coney’s icons find unity.”


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/090327_cic_night_aerial.jpg
The roof took the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid that helped keep weight—and thus costs—down.


Borough President Marty Markowitz first announced the “state-of-the-art recreation facility” in his 2007 State of the Borough address, with the intention of competing with the other summer concert venues in the area, like Jones Beach and Westbury. While smaller than some of its rivals—the former holds 18,000—the real attraction is new amenities, such as green rooms, of which there are currently none, and a better sound and lighting system, not to mention the appeal of Coney Island itself and its proximity to the city.

And while amenities and location are nice, the real hallmark of Coney Center is its shimmering roof. Husser said the shape was chosen for a number of reasons, mainly the lightness of its structure. “It’s like a bicycle wheel with a massive steel rim and a ring at the middle for a hub,” he explained. “It’s a much lighter structure than one operated by trusses.” By bending the roof, it provides its own tension and thus requires less structure, which means less weight and less cost. The shape also helps minimize noise to adjacent housing and keep out the rain. The peaked end at the east side also achieves one of the project’s other main goals: to create a new gateway for Coney Island on perhaps its most common point of entry, Ocean Parkway. (Far more people drive to the area each year than ride the subway.)

At one point, the designers had considered a retractable roof, but a number of issues prevented its inclusion. First, the cost of construction and maintenance would have been considerable, especially given the corrosive seaside air. But more importantly, Coney Center is intended as a year-round facility: During the off-season, the 5,000 fixed seats beneath the canopy will be removed and replaced with an ice-skating rink.


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/090327_cic_night_lower_walkway.jpg
The amphitheater has seating for 8,000 and is intended to draw bigger acts to the Coney Island shore.


Beyond the amphitheater, Grimshaw is also redesigning the playground that currently sits in the park, both to modernize it and because it is located on the footprint of the new and expanded back-of-the-house. Working with landscape architects Mathews Nielsen, the designers have created an elevated climbing structure that wends its way up, down, and around trees. The idea is to disrupt as few trees as possible while also creating a structure that recalls the nearby roller coaster. The team will also refurbish the popular handball courts across Surf Avenue.

Through a spokesperson, Markowitz praised the park as the latest step in the revitalization of Coney Island. “Replacing Asser Levy’s antiquated band shell with a state-of-the-art one will ensure that free community programming—it was used for 45 different community events last year—remains in Coney Island,” he said. “Moreover, it will be a key component of a revitalized Coney Island for the community and visitors in the days ahead.”

The project has come under some fire from locals who have complained about the possibility of increased noise and crowds, as well as the fact that some concerts will be paid, instead of free. But both the borough president and the designers counter that money generated from paid shows will go to putting on more free ones. “It’s win-win for the community and the city,” Husser said.

Construction is due to begin at the end of this summer’s concert searon, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

Matt Chaban

Copyright © 2003-2008 | The Architect's Newspaper, LLC.

[brianac]

Sitt Consultants Attack Coney Plan as City Offers $105 M. for Land (http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/sitt-consultants-attack-coney-plan-city-offers-105-m-land-0)

By Eliot Brown (http://www.observer.com/author/eliot-brown/)
April 1, 2009 | 5:38 p.m

It’s now been over two years since the Bloomberg administration began its public battle with Coney Island landlord Joe Sitt, frequently raining criticism on his plans for the Brooklyn amusement hub at public forums and in the press. Mr. Sitt is the largest landowner in the central amusement district and has resisted the city’s plans to revamp the area, saying it would be economically unviable.

The latest turn in the unending face off—the city is attempting to buy Mr. Sitt’s land, though the two sides are far apart in their prices—came as Mr. Sitt enlisted a string of consultants to question the economic feasibility of the city’s plan at a City Council hearing on Wednesday, at the same time that the city made a new offer of $105 million for his land. That’s down from $110 million, an offer made last fall during negotiations that fell apart.

At the hearing, consultants for Mr. Sitt raised a series of objections to the city’s planned rezoning, characterizing it as unrealistic and financially unfeasible. (The city wants to buy the land in the amusement district just north of the beach and bid it out to a developer that would build hotels, retail, and indoor and outdoor rides to create a year-round destination.)

“The mistake in the city’s plan is fundamental urban planning,” Jeff Lococo, an amusement consultant, said in prepared testimony. Under the proposed plan, he said in the testimony, “the entire redevelopment district will become seasonal in nature and thus cannot economically sustain itself.”

City officials have said their plan seeks to strike a balance between the current setup—where vacant lots dominate the area—and a zoning that would allow for residential, which would clearly be financially viable, but would weaken the amusement focus of the district.

While the Bloomberg administration does not need to remove Mr. Sitt in order to rezone the area, without his cooperation, it’s hard to see how the amusement area would undergo the revitalization the city envisions.

Of course, it’s still early in the game. The Bloomberg administration is in the midst of the public approval process for its planned rezoning, and any deals struck traditionally happen at the end of that process. The City Council is slated to vote on the administration's plan this summer.

http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/sitt-consultants-attack-coney-plan-city-offers-105-m-land-0

Copyright The New York Observer

[BrooklynRider]

Coney Boardwalk could be ‘Sitt’-ing pretty

By Mike McLaughlin
The Brooklyn Paper

All but one of the Boardwalk entrepreneurs in Coney Island will be back this summer, ending months of uncertainty (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/1/32_1_mm_boardwalk.html)as the merchants hammered out deals with their landlord, Thor Equities, the main landowner in the amusement area.

The announcement on Monday that Cha Cha’s, Ruby’s Old Tyme Bar, Shoot the Freak and others will be back for at least one more season on the Riegelmann Boardwalk comes amid a stepped-up campaign by Thor owner Joe Sitt to show that he is providing a bustling, boisterous summer of activity on his 10-1/2 acres between the Cyclone roller coaster and Keyspan Park.
Sitt also recently announced a so-called “Festival by the Sea,” which will feature dozens of rides and sideshow acts on West 10th Street and a flea market on Stillwell Avenue.

“This summer will be the best we have had in decades, as the Festival is bringing new rides, new vendors, better freaks and filling the Boardwalk with the institutions that have been here for generations,” Sitt boldly predicted in a statement.

The tenants rejoiced, too, although their rents were raised this season.

“We are thrilled to be coming back and to be a part of the festival,” said John Ciarco the bar owner of Cha Cha’s.

Coney Island appeared headed towards a hard luck summer season with Astroland closed, leaving only one full-fledged amusement park in operation — Deno’s Wonder Wheel.
But the People’s Playground may actually benefit from the current game of one-upsmanship between Sitt and the city, which wants to buy his land as part of a planned new amusement park, hotels and attractions. Sitt is holding out for a higher offer than the $105-million deal proffered earlier this month (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/13/32_13_mm_coney.html).

The city unveiled its ace in the hole last Friday (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/16/32_16_mm_ringling.html), announcing that Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was booked for a special summer engagement in Coney Island, too.
Sitt reputation was damaged with many people in Coney Island when he did not renew Astroland’s lease last September (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/36/31_36_mm_astroland.html). The park has since closed.

That was followed by unexpectedly foisting “For Lease” signs on all of his properties on Christmas Eve, dampening the holiday spirit of the tenants.

The one Boardwalk lease that Thor did not renew belonged to Dianna Carlin, the owner of Lola Staar, a T-shirt boutique, whose owner had been an outspoken critic of the real-estate company. The shop will reopen, possibly on Memorial Day weekend, at a kiosk in the Stillwell Avenue subway station (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/1/32_1_mm_boardwalk.html).

She panned Sitt’s record as a landlord.

“He’s not about building his tenant-landlord relationships,” Carlin told The Brooklyn Paper. “It’s about his negotiations with the city and making as much money as possible.”

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/16/32_16_mm_boardwalk.html

[BrooklynRider]

As a life-lomg lover and supporter of Coney Island, I've got to say. "It is a complete dump."

1. Nathans (the only reason to visit C.I.)

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[BrooklynRider]

THE CYCLONE NOW COSTS $8 PER RIDE AND THE RIDE IS BUMPIER AND ROUGHER THAN IN YEARS AND DECADES PAST.

1.
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[BrooklynRider]

1.

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[BrooklynRider]

Sitt on it (not!) — Joe’s Coney ‘Festival’ suffers setback
By Mike McLaughlin
The Brooklyn Paper: May 14, 2009

In an embarrassing setback, Coney Island’s would-be savior, developer Joe Sitt, has postponed his highly publicized grand opening of rides, freak shows and vendors that were scheduled to debut this weekend due.

Sitt’s “Festival by the Sea” has been hyped for months and will still open this weekend in Coney Island, but only half of the 25 rides will be on hand at the West 10th Street and Surf Avenue site. Sitt’s bazaar of food, crafts and knickknack vendors will be nearby, but they will be exposed to the elements because of a tent mishap.

“There’s still going to be a lot going on,” said Loren Riegelhaupt, a Sitt spokesman.
Mac Support Store

Coney Island visitors can expect the full monty by Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to the summer season, Riegelhaupt added.

But Sitt’s company, Thor Equities, has not succeeded in past summers with temporary rides and attractions to fill vacant lots in the company’s portfolio of 10-1/2 acres in the historic People’s Playground. Last year, Sitt’s self-described “The Summer of Hope” turned into the summer of nope when carnies packed up their rides and departed earlier than promised.

This summer’s rough start is just a fluke, affirmed Riegelhaupt.

“We’re very committed to Coney. We’ve invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and money in the festival, and we think it’s going to be great,” he said.

In the past, Sitt says he wants to build a modern Xanadu of rides, hotels and shopping in the rundown amusement area, but his plans have been blocked by Mayor Bloomberg’s own proposal to buy Sitt’s acreage, combine it with other city-owned property, and build a new amusement park between the Cyclone roller coaster and Keyspan Park.

Private developers would be able to build hotels and other tourist attractions in the vicinity, under the mayor’s rezoning plan, which is nearing final approval in the city’s land-use review process.

Sitt’s detractors crowed upon hearing that the “Festival by the Sea” had been blown off course.

“Amusements aren’t his industry,” said Dianna Carlin, the founder of the Lola Staar T-shirt boutique, referring to Sitt’s background as a shopping mall developer and land speculator. “He obviously doesn’t have the necessary experience in the amusement business.”

Carlin’s shop was a Boardwalk tenant of Sitt, but he did not renew her lease because of her history of criticizing him. She’s relocated to the Stillwell Avenue subway station and plans to reopen on Memorial Day weekend.

But in Coney Island, where the success of one merchant in the tourist business impinges on the success of everyone, even Carlin didn’t laugh long.

“I hope he succeeds, because Coney Island needs more amusements,” she said.

[BrooklynRider]

NYCEDC Press release (rec'd via email)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DEPUTY MAYOR LIEBER, NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. PRESIDENT SETH W. PINSKY, PREMIER RIDES, INC. PRESIDENT JIM SEAY AND CONEY ISLAND AMUSEMENT ADVISORY PANEL ANNOUNCE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMUSEMENT PARK DEVELOPMENT IN CONEY ISLAND

Panelists Present Seven Principles to Help Guide Development of a 21st Century, 27-Acre Year-Round Amusement and Entertainment Destination Building Affordable and Attractive Neighborhoods is Part of City’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan New York City,

May 14, 2009 – Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC)
President Seth W. Pinsky and Premier Rides, Inc. President Jim Seay were joined today by members of the Coney Island Amusement Advisory Panel to announce findings and recommendations for the development of a new 21st Century, 27-acre amusement and entertainment district at Coney Island, Brooklyn.

The recommendations follow three days of workshops and discussions focused on branding, marketing, planning, programming and development at Coney Island, and will be used by the City to shape and inform development plans.

“With the rezoning of Coney Island underway, we are focused on ensuring that the amusement area is a vibrant and dynamic district for generations to come,” said Deputy Mayor Lieber. “We’ve called on the leaders of the amusement industry to help develop the best strategies for growing and enhancing this iconic part of New York City. I want to thank Jim Seay and the members of this advisory panel for their dedication to the future of Coney Island and look forward to working further with the industry to build a viable 21st century amusement district that leverages its tremendous history and world-wide brand.”

“This was a welcome opportunity for members of the amusement and entertainment community to come together under one roof and discuss the opportunities that exist and the challenges that New York City faces as it undertakes this exciting revitalization of Coney Island,” said Amusement Panel Chair and Premier Rides, Inc. President Jim Seay.

“Coney Island is a brand that means so much to so many, and from what I’ve seen and heard here this week, the private sector believes that the City has put together a plan that will build on the history and enhance one of America’s treasures.”

The panel released seven guiding principles that will assist the City in continued planning efforts for a permanent amusement operation and development of a 27-acre amusement and entertainment district at Coney Island. A final report of the panel’s findings will be released this summer. The principles include:

Leverage Coney Island’s Brand and its Unique Natural and Historical Assets. The ocean, the beach, the Boardwalk and access to the City’s transit system are Coney Island’s greatest assets and draws to visitors. The redevelopment of Coney Island presents an opportunity to create a unique, 21st Century urban seaside amusement park.

Honor and Celebrate Coney Island’s History; But Don’t Get Overly Nostalgic. There is no need for a themed park at Coney Island; the site contains enough history that it doesn’t need to be “Disney-fied.” But while honoring and celebrating Coney Island’s history, the plan shouldn’t “get stuck” on preserving the artifacts. Planning and design should focus on enhancing visitors’ experience.

Get the Core of Coney Island’s Amusement District Right. A critical component of successful development of the area is the programming of the twelve-acre amusement core that faces the Boardwalk. When properly programmed, 12 acres is a sufficient space, and could contain around 30 major amusements, including thrill rides, coasters and other family attractions. The core should be an “Air-In-The-Face” experience, focusing on speed, thrills, and adrenaline.

Expand Coney Island’s Seasonal Core Amusement Experience to the Larger, Year-Round Urban Entertainment District. While parts of the amusement district will be seasonal, the Coney Island experience should extend to the 15-acres outside the amusement core, featuring a critical mass of indoor attractions, rides, restaurants, and hotels. Big-box and mall retail should not be allowed in the entertainment zone; it will erode the amusement district and dilute the brand. Coney Island should be about the totality of the experience across the district and how the indoor and outdoor areas work together.

Coney Island Must Remain Accessible, Open and Affordable. Coney Island should continue to be open and family-friendly. To be successful the area should not be gated, although there are ways to ensure a safe, quality visitor experience through creative operations strategies. Coney Island should not be compared to and will not compete with gated, suburban amusement parks.

City Ownership of Coney Island’s Amusement Area is the Important to Move Forward. The City should own the land in the amusement area, but should leave the development and operations to private partners. The continued Balkanization of Coney Island’s amusement area is unsustainable, and the area will best be developed by a single operator/developer.

DON’T WAIT. There is Only One Chance to Get this Right. The City should think in terms of phased development of the permanent amusements as the infrastructure allows and as is financially feasible. It should begin with the installation of a major rollercoaster followed by additional programming as the infrastructure is built out. The time is now to identify and select a single industry operator/developer to oversee the development. The operator/developer can begin to build permanent amusements and introduce innovative programming before area infrastructure is complete.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC) convened the Coney Island Amusement Advisory Panel as an independent advisory board comprised of professionals representing a diverse cross-section of the industry. The Panel was moderated by Jack Rouse, CEO of Jack Rouse Associates, a preeminent entertainment design studio credited with developing hundreds of amusement parks, museums, and entertainment projects around the world, with support from Perkins + Will, a leading architecture and planning firm with expertise in branded environments.

“The development of the amusement area is integral to the growth of the neighborhood and the creation of more than 25,000 construction jobs and 6,000 permanent jobs in Coney Island. I want to thank the members of the Coney Island Amusement Advisory Panel for dedicating their time and expertise to this exciting project,” said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky.

Members of the Coney Island Amusement Advisory Panel included: Chip Cleary, Senior VP, Palace Entertainment and First Vice Chair, IAAPA Executive Board; Jim Pattison, President, Ripley Entertainment, Inc.; Tony Catanoso, President & CEO, Atlantic City Steel Pier; Nikki Nolan, Executive VP & Managing Director of International, Great Wolf Resorts; David Rockwell, Founder and CEO, Rockwell Group; Valerio Ferrari, President & CEO, Zamperla USA; Kieran E. Burke, former Chairman and CEO of Six Flags, Inc.; Al Weber, Management Affiliate, MidOcean Partners and former President & CEO, Palace Entertainment; Will Morey and Jack Morey, Co-Owners, The Morey Organization.

About NYCEDC New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City’s primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC’s mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City’s competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City’s many opportunities.

[BrooklynRider]

ANOTHER WHIRL: NEW COASTER EYED FOR CONEY

May 15, 2009

It's not that they're tired of the rickety, wooden Cyclone, but city officials want a new roller coaster in Coney Island to rival the 81-year-old landmark.

With a temporary amusement park called Dreamland set to open today at the former Astroland Park, the Bloomberg administration considers its plan to boost the fabled shorefront that is now in transition anything but a pipe dream.

A city-appointed panel of amusement industry experts yesterday released recommendations for officials tasked with soliciting proposals from developers interested in building within a planned 27-acre boardwalk amusement and entertainment district.

The panel said 12 acres along the fabled boardwalk is sufficient space to build 30 new major amusements, including a roller coaster with a drop tower, water rides, a "House of Horror," other thrill rides, and rides suitable for kids.

Panelists also said there's no need for a theme park like Disney Land in Coney Island and that while Coney Island's history should be celebrated, the city shouldn't get stuck on preserving artifacts but rather focus on enhancing visitors' experience at an affordable price.

The remaining 15 acres of off-boardwalk property in the district should include indoor amusements, restaurants and hotels but no big-box or mall retail, the panel said.

Meanwhile, workers yesterday were busy at the Astroland site setting up some of the 25 traveling carnival rides that will be part of Dreamland Amusement Park - a temporary fix by developer Joe Sitt, the area's primary landowner, until a new outdoor amusement park is built.

Although the temporary park at the West 10th boardwalk will open today, its official grand opening has been pushed back a week because all of the rides haven't arrived.

The park is part of Sitt's much-hyped "Festival By the Sea" that will also include the opening of a temporary flea market with large tents on the Stillwell Avenue boardwalk nearby. It's part of a $2.5 million investment he says he's making to keep Coney Island from becoming barren this summer.

The city plans to spend tens of thousands of dollars to support the existing Coney Island amusement district this summer. For Coney Island's long-term revitalization, the city has roughly $200 million in capital funds budgeted over the next four years.

That, together with a planned 47-acre rezoning and substantial private investment, is expected to generate more than $14 billion in economic activity over 30 years - even in a dwindling economy, city officials said.

The biggest hurdle to the city's plan, however, is Sitt himself. The city has been unable to reach a deal to buy 10.5 acres of land Sitt owns in the amusement district so it could select another developer to build a new outdoor amusement park.

Both sides have been fighting over Coney Island's future for three years with the city refusing to give the developer zoning changes necessary to build a $1.5 billion Vegas-style amusement and entertainment complex that includes controversial high-rise condos.

The battle has left the amusement district a war casualty, with much of Sitt's land either vacant until now or hosting temporary attractions that haven't been popular.

[BrooklynRider]

May 18, 2009
Group fights Marty’s ‘Potato chip’
By Gersh Kuntzman
The Brooklyn Paper

A handful of protesters rallied on Sunday in Coney Island to protest Borough President Markowitz’s plan for a $64-million amphitheater to replace the band shell in Asser Levy Park.

The protesters claim that Markowitz’s plan violates city law, which forbids amplified music within 500 feet of religious institutions, courts and schools.

Two synagogues are within 300 feet of the planned 8,000-seat theater.

Earlier this year, other protesters complained that the project will not go through the normal review procedure that is typically required for major changes of land use.

Markowitz has said the amphitheater is necessary not only for his own summertime concert series, but to lure beach band business away from concert venues at Jones Beach and in New Jersey.

“The renovation of Asser Levy Park will only enhance the surrounding community,” Markowitz said in a statement. “Residents will benefit from a new playground, park house and community facilities, in addition to upgrades throughout the park. Replacing Asser Levy’s antiquated band shell with a state-of-the-art one will ensure that free cultural programming remains in Coney Island (it was used for 45 different community events last year). Moreover, this beautiful new park will be a key component of a revitalized Coney Island for visitors and the community in the days and years ahead.”

But Al Turk, president of the 45-year-old Temple Beth Abraham, which is on Sea Breeze Avenue, across the street from the proposed theater, complained that Markowitz’s amplified sound would violate city law — and ruin the Jewish Sabbath every Friday night in summer.

“Ask him this,” Turk said, “why does he think he’s above the law?”

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

[MidtownGuy]

These "community groups" are very frustrating. It's Coney Island, they want quiet Friday nights all year? Move the hell away then, or install soundproofing on the "temple". I'm sure they can afford it. They don't even have to pay taxes and they want to control a whole neighborhood.
Why should an entire city lose out on all of the benefits of this project because of fringe religious groups. Every day I despise organized religion just a little bit more. What arrogance.

[BrooklynRider]

I think that "free concerts by the see" is different than an amphitheater. Markowitz want to hijack a city park (and a popular one at that) for this pure ego project. The concerts have been held at Asser Levy Park for years and he's the only one complaining about the venue.

In the economic crisis, he should be giving up any discretionary funds as the city cuts budgets left and right. He's been yapping about reviving Coney Island for years, so what does he do? He goes outside of the Amusement Zone and hijacks the one place very popular with the locals.

Never has one politician been so out of touch with his constituents.

[SuddenImpact]

Rider, I do far more lurking than posting but almost always agree with you. Not this time. I think the new venue will bring in bigger acts, bring in bigger crowds, expand the amusement area to east of the aquarium, and thus make this (expanded) amusement area more important for us to keep. By "keep" I mean as in condos-free!

More people coming to Coney for concerts (KeySpan, Siren Fest, or at this new venue) = more people who will be made aware of the condos that threaten it.

[BrooklynRider]

But why not use Keyspan Park, which is dark for much of the year?

There's a concert in Coney Island every week or every other week. The Cyclones don't play daily and certainly not every night. Matkowitz is talking about $46 million. Where is THAT money coming from? He only spent a million on the Parachute Jump lighting (which is crap at best). The Pavilion design that won the Van Alen competition has never been built. He is talking about competing with Jones Beach. That is going to make the amphitheater cost prohibitive to many people. It also takes away parkland and turns it over to private interests for profit.

I am totally against land grabs and especially in established parks.

Markowitz has always behaved as if this were HIS park. I've been to the concerts and he acts as though it's his own private affair. Those concerts are funded through tax payers dollars - not his personal banking account. If you follow his endorsements of new construction projects for Brooklyn (not his "policy" becauser Borough President has no say in city policy - it is entirely a ceremonial position) he has been on the wrong side of almost every issue and is constantly backtracking.

That aside, SuddenImpact, I do hope you'll join in the dicussion in this and other threads. We love to hear lots of voices on the forum.:)

[BrooklynRider]

Star from Coney Island's Astroland headed to DC
The Associated Press
2009-05-28 2

WASHINGTON - A piece of Coney Island's history will have a new home at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Museum officials announced Thursday that an 8-foot-high star from the now closed space-age theme park, Astroland, will become part of the National Air and Space Museum's popular culture collection.

It was one of two spinning stars at Astroland's entrance, installed in 1963 at the height of the space race.

Carol Hill Albert and Jerome Albert, owners of the former Astroland Park, donated the star. Smithsonian curators say it embodies the widespread excitement about human space flight in the 1960s.

The Alberts closed Astroland after failing to reach a lease agreement with a developer who purchased the New York land in 2006.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[SuddenImpact]

Rider, again we're in agreement. 64 Mil is a lot and from those designs I get the feeling that the final price tag will be even higher. I'm also not a fan of how Markowitz has handled any bit of the Coney (remember, at one time Marty was Sitthead's biggest cheerleader) situation. In fact, I'm hoping that a Parachute Jump pavilion never happens b/c w/the space being so small, I can only imagine what junk they'd try cramming that tiny area with. Maybe a smaller version of the flea market?

That said, look at the design!!!

It would be the most beautiful thing on Coney since they brought the Parachute Jump (and its, uhm "crappy" new lights) over from the first NY World's Fair.

Everytime I walk by the sleepy park and see a concert it's something like Jay Black and the Americans or Johnny Something and the Brooklyn Bridge. 1 or 2 hit wonders from 1959! Most others who don't venture past the joke of an aquarium prolly don't even know the park is there. While a new venue may be cost-prohibitive in the future, I think we can both agree that it's crap-prohibitive now.

More importantly, to me, this is a chance to expand the amusement area's footprints at a time when all talk (from both Joe "full of" Sitt and Bloomy) is to chip the whole thing down until we're left with high rise luxury condos and a few rides which legally can not be touched.

As for the actual need of a music venue, yeah I am aware of KeySpan.

While I can't complain about the acoustics, without a roof, it's still not exactly top notch. The acoustics at SirenFest is pretty sucky, so I won't even try defending that. This new theater however would be something to compete with Jones Beach and would draw in brand new crowds who've never had a reason to come to Coney to begin with.

Dems be my 2 cents (well maybe more than that) anyways. Keep us updated on all the latest Coney news :)

[BrooklynRider]

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/3600750414_ac7a6a01d3.jpghttp://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/?action=view&current=3600750414_ac7a6a01d3.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/BrooklynRiderRob/3600751204_a431316c15.jpg

Photographs by rbbbconeyisland at Flickr

[BrooklynRider]

Albany throws Bloomy a rabbit punch in Coney
By Mike McLaughlin
The Brooklyn Paper

Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to redevelop Coney Island is tied up in Albany, causing yet another headache for the controversial proposal to create a new amusement park and thousands of apartments on the hard-luck peninsula.

Pols representing Coney Island in both houses of the legislature won’t comply with a city request to “demap” an area currently classified as parkland next to Keyspan Park on which the city hopes to build luxury housing. Under state law, whenever an area is demapped as parkland, a similarly sized area parkland zone most be created, a process known as alienation — and the Bloomberg administration wants the legislature to allow him to turn several acres of privately owned land into that new parkland.

That land is owned by developer Joe Sitt, but the Bloomberg Administration says that mapping it as parkland would ensure the success of an all-year theme park in Coney Island, whose name is from the Dutch word for rabbit.

Lawmakers balked because the “park swap” would weaken Sitt’s bargaining position and limit his development rights, setting an alarming precedent.

“Legislators have problems alienating someone’s private property rights,” state Sen. Diane Savino (D–Coney Island) told The Brooklyn Paper. “If we condemn it, we essentially render it worthless [to Sitt].”

Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (D–Coney Island) opposed the bill, too.

“The city shouldn’t easily push property owners to the corner and do whatever they want to do,” he said.

The impasse was first reported in the New York Observer on Tuesday.

The opposition in Albany was unexpected by the Coney Island Development Corporation, the agency overseeing the mayor’s grand plans to rezone and rebuild dozens of blocks of the rundown neighborhood.

In recent months, it had depicted the park swap process as a simple formality in the more complex effort to turn around Coney Island, which is now home to only one amusement park, but expecting a boost from the addition of a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus this summer.

Quick passage of the state bill would have helped the mayor with his effort to pass the necessary rezoning proposal in the City Council this summer.

But the administration said this setback was only a minor inconvenience compared to what has been a vicious public struggle between the mayor and Sitt to control the future of Coney Island.

“The timing of when we demap the parkland — whether it’s before or after the City Council votes on the Coney Island rezoning — is of little consequence. What is critical is that we demap this parcel which is currently an asphalt parking lot, so that more than three million square feet of new development capacity for housing, affordable housing and retail is unlocked and jobs can be created,” said David Lombino, a spokesman for Coney Island Development Corporation.

Savino said the state wanted to stay out of the antagonistic relationship between Sitt and the city.

“Both sides are looking for us to take their side,” she said. Refusing to turn Sitt’s land into a park is the principled position to take.

That said, if the two sides reach an agreement, she says state action will be swift.

“We’re prepared to act once they tell us we have a deal,” she said.

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

[SuddenImpact]

Seems to me, Thor wants about 25 high rise luxury condos/hotels, leaving about 6 acres of amusement park land. The city wants a couple of fewer condos/hotels while saving a couple of more acres of amusement park land.

Maybe tying it all up in Albany (we're they're obviously going thru their own, much bigger drama) is the best thing?

Has anyone seen or talked about the Municipal Art Society's Coney Vision?

http://imagineconey.com/

[BrooklynRider]

Their plan is the strongest for a continued Amusement area. They recommend at very least 17 acres of amusements as opposed to the city's 9 and Thor's six. I believe they actually recommend expanding it it 22 acres.

[SuddenImpact]

Over the past 8 months, I've been to 3 Municipal Art Society meetings. One was at BAM, another at a Catholic school down at Coney, then one in the city. IMO they're the only ones looking out for amusements as opposed to condos.

Zigun and several community/tenants association leaders have been to them as well, but without any political backing, I'm not sure what else they can do to get the message out.

Anyways, if I can pimp myself out for a second :rolleyes:

I know of a Coney based short that'll screen tomorrow night at a small local film fest. Rider, if you or anyone else reading this is interested, please send me a PM. Apologies for the spam. I promise that any and all further details will only go to those interested enough in PMing me. Thanks.

[justfabulouslyme]

These "community groups" are very frustrating. It's Coney Island, they want quiet Friday nights all year? Move the hell away then, or install soundproofing on the "temple". I'm sure they can afford it. They don't even have to pay taxes and they want to control a whole neighborhood.
Why should an entire city lose out on all of the benefits of this project because of fringe religious groups. Every day I despise organized religion just a little bit more. What arrogance.

I agree.

100000%

[SuddenImpact]

In case you missed it last year, here's a few reasons to go to tomorrow's Mermaid Parade!

[philvia]

yea except this year it was rained out... i'm not a mermaid so i dont necessarily care to stand around in the rain watching the parade :) though i would have went had it been a nicer day

[ZippyTheChimp]

07.21.2009

Coney's Life Boat

In surprise move, council backs mayor's
amusement area redevelopment plan


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/image/development_proposal1.jpg
The city's redevelopment plans for Coney Island might finally
become a reality after foundering for months.
Courtesy NYC DCP


Dominic Recchia, a City Council member from south Brooklyn, has opposed the Bloomberg administration’s redevelopment plan for Coney Island since before it was unveiled a year-and-a-half ago, becoming a major obstacle to the city’s long-running bid to revive his district's oceanfront amusement park.

So when Recchia suddenly endorsed a plan today that had but a few minor differences with the city’s original proposal, it signaled not only that Coney Island may finally be saved from an uncertain future, but also that the developer who owns an important swath of land in the area—and a major Recchia ally—may be on the verge of striking a deal with the city.

“It’s impossible to make everyone 100 percent happy,” Recchia said at a special meeting of the council’s land-use committee this afternoon. “But this plan makes everyone happy enough that we can move forward.” The committee voted in favor of the amended plan 13-2, with a vote before the full council due next Wednesday.


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/ConeyMap.jpg
The current plan calls for an L-shaped amusement park running from the Cyclone to the Parachute Jump,
but further negotiations could extend that park three blocks west. Four controversial hotels (in purple) will remain.
Courtesy DCP


The councilmember's about-face offers fresh hope for the city's rezoning plan, which aims to remedy one of the major problems facing Coney Island: The area is largely dormant outside of the summer, when the amusement park shuts down. In addition to creating indoor amusement spaces for year-round activity and employment, the city’s plan (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/coney_island/index.shtml) endeavors to revive the area with new housing—some 4,500 units—and a series of hotels. The plan would preserve the outdoor amusement traditionally associated with Coney Island on a nine-acre strip of land along the boardwalk stretching from the Cyclone to KeySpan Park.

The problem is that developer Joe Sitt owns 10.5 acres of land in the area, much of it along the boardwalk, and he would rather develop it as highrise towers, as opposed to the city’s plan to place such development to the north and east of the current amusement district. The city has offered to either trade land with Sitt or buy him out, most recently in June for $105 million. But the developer has held out for his original asking price of $165 million, even telling the Post (http://www.nypost.com/seven/06112009/news/regionalnews/coney_man_kicks_sand_in_mikes_face_173698.htm) he was through negotiating. That could all change, given Recchia’s new-found support for the city’s plan, as some local activists suggested today.

“Why would Recchia give up his bargaining position if a deal hadn’t been struck?” Juan Rivero, spokesman for Save Coney Island, said after the vote. Andrew Brent, a Bloomberg spokesperson, wrote in an email that there is “no such deal,” though he added, “Important to point out that it's not a done deal until the full council votes.” And Stefan Friedman, a spokesperson for Sitt’s Thor Equities, said, “Thor is currently in talks with the city and expects these negotiations to continue until the full council votes on the rezoning.” Even if a deal has not already been struck, that Thor is back at the table is a promising sign for an eventual agreement.

Any such deal could also end up improving the amusement area, as it would make way for additional open-air amusements along the boardwalk on the three blocks west of KeySpan, something amusement advocates have been clamoring for. Recchia said he would continue to fight for this change, the implication being that with Sitt no longer a factor, and thus less demand for luxury development in the district, the city might return to its earliest proposals, which called for 15 acres of open-air amusements on both sides of KeySpan. The current plan, by contrast, calls for housing to the west.

The other issue vexing advocates is four 15-story hotel parcels proposed for the south side of Surf Avenue within the new amusement district. Recchia said that despite his best efforts, he could not negotiate them out of the plan.

Advocates feared that if the district were too small or too overpowered by its outsized neighbors, it would continue to struggle. If all goes as currently laid out by Recchia, then, the result could be a wash.

“I’m a pragmatist,” said Dick Zigun, the founder of Coney Island U.S.A. “I realize if there’s the opportunity to save even one building or change one block, I’ll take it.” But Juan Rivera, of Save Coney Island, said the amusements "continue to be ignored."


http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/WonderWheelWay(1).jpg
The proposed Wonder Wheel Way, a new street that bisects the amusement district. A portion of it will be removed
from the plan as part of recent negotiations, though it will remain as a pedestrian thoroughfare.
Courtesy DCP


The one noticeable, though arguably cosmetic, adjustment to the city’s plan touted by Recchia today was removing part of the proposed Wonder Wheel Way. A new street that would bisect the amusement area, Wonder Wheel Way is intended to create improved frontage for the new indoor amusements, which run the gamut from arcades to bowling alleys to retail stores.

Because of concern from the family that operates the Wonder Wheel and adjoining Dino’s amusement park, the block of the proposed roadway between West 10th and West 12th streets will be removed, though it will continue from West 12th to West 16th streets. But because Dino’s has agreed to make that space a pedestrian throughway, the city’s plan is largely intact, though it could potentially allow for large-scale development in the future.

Beyond this minor change to the plan itself, Recchia did receive some additional concessions from the city: The administration has committed to increasing the inclusionary housing bonus for affordable housing from 20 percent of units to 35 percent, meaning residential developers seeking additional bulk in their projects would have to make a greater percentage of units affordable.

A commitment has also been made to use union labor both in the construction and operation of the amusements, hotels, shops, and apartment buildings that will populate the new district. Both changes were sought in a last minute push by Coney Island for All, a coalition of labor unions and housing advocates, and while the group sees them as an improvement, it would like to see more housing and job security. “There’s been progress made, but we have to stay vigilant,” Kristi Barnes, a representative for the group, said after the vote.

Recchia also negotiated improvements to the surrounding area's troubled infrastructure—sewage overflows during storms and streets strewn with potholes—as well as money for the expansion of the local hospital and school to accommodate an influx of new residents. Money has also been promised for a new ice-skating rink and renovation of a nearby park.

“By the end of the day on July 29, everyone will be happy,” Recchia said.


Matt Chaban

Copyright © 2003-2008 | The Architect's Newspaper, LLC.

[Prometheus]

I wish they'd replicate those cool turn-of-the century parks, like Luna.
A replica would be a little disney-ish, but would still be cool to see, if done correctly.

[SuddenImpact]

Yeah, a Luna Park replica would be nice, even if a little Disney-ish. Actually, compared to the plan that the full city council is about to vote on, empty lots would be nice as well! At least empty lots offers the potential to rebuild rides on.

But 9 acres?!?!?! Seriously??? This plan is a joke!!!!

You can barely fit two additional Cyclones in the 9 acres worth of land that Bloomberg promises to preserve. How will that lead to the "World Class Amusement Area" championed by both Bloomberg and Sitt? They are BOTH liars, there is no hiding that.

How can any condos be part of the plan when just two weeks ago Bloomberg announced a 20 million dollar bailout to the same real estate developers Bloomy made rich through 8 years of rezoning.
http://newyork.realestaterama.com/2009/07/08/mayor-bloomberg-and-speaker-quinn-announce-housing-asset-renewal-pilot-program-ID0730.html
(http://newyork.realestaterama.com/2009/07/08/mayor-bloomberg-and-speaker-quinn-announce-housing-asset-renewal-pilot-program-ID0730.html)
How can ANYONE look at the drawings and think, even for a second, that within the 9 acres Coney will get its promised World Class Amusement Park?
How can ANYONE look at the plans for condos and think, even for a second, that Coney is better off surrounded by high rises?
How can ANYONE see the modern day high rise ghost towns popping up in Williamsburg and Long Island City and not think that the same fate doesn't await Coney?

Utterly ridiculous. Once again Bloomie and his puppets in the council should be shamed. Once this piece of history is lost (like Steeplechase or the old Penn Station) it will NEVER come back!

[BrooklynRider]

The city is negotiating with property owners in C.I. to expand the amusement district west of Keyspan Park. This would expand the Amusement area to 15 acres AND it is looking good at this point.

[SuddenImpact]

Cool news, Rider, except that the city already own the 5/6 acres west of KeySpan. It consists of the KeySpan parking lot and Abe Stark skating rink. Maybe the city is negotiating against itself? :rolleyes:

[Stroika]

This group is fighting to expand the amusement district. You want Coney Island to not suck? Do something and attend this rally!

Final Save Coney Island Rally TOMORROW!!

Here's what you can do to SAVE CONEY ISLAND
JOIN (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfEiUo6_KArFdi60iEgAevSsJFIzvWAnzg4I6 6_v1_Ocu_9V9XcCX5zyujklhQ9PYszbEqAkS3Msh7X4KGq5Sdl 7DoFjGb2E8GjJO-XdhT47MF1H0MBJESWQBBiQ-0lFrB54Qpr-7i6IMQ==)
OUR MAILING LIST

VOLUNTEER (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHA4hKYVeXRh6O5gygHIDfqNHm2X_Vk0W1vb PlY6rI3m6e8eUXkjlQcQwwMmCIvEZu_i1um1O_F-E7Im2Dw_Lkb7jgN3NIXT92kKtX_eLlZeUPl-QVao2stEd8CFMeCuvv5K1PJWss6Dw==)
SIGN (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfEIA4itzGi83I9hxOmGhTKmaphOSDph22jcF fxv7SnUBY593IF7jgwTYfHCVtT_jTV7IGQQhPxcg69zlY9doAu fokhQC36a7deRtrh0I6ThSWlheoLvPtHwQu_OEeAWd2Rg7_IhM zJbMpGAW1L__-YmyHqcZ310GL6DkGI_k-x2TdhUZnt5ZDDkaFzLhSPKzSdtpmZIoErMI4BfdaLoCmrIToBe H0CdoQHlfD80fWX8ArNTlNMhSl5g)
THIS PETITION

WRITE (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfFMfsfLaA0FY9s_m5Ycdnp6TVw5FRuWPnC-Aun6XT8r54VraXy3KzoZRLt-6BFBH7KohObx04mMKCIOHt_ss1LUwOM0YEHbC94sk67xcNyCiJ My4S_cv86RpCdRBAU16IloVztIkoOiuA==)
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE


Final Save Coney Island Rally (Sun.) before the City Council Vote!!

PLEASE ATTEND!

The City Council is voting next Wednesday on the City's flawed Coney Island plan. This Sunday, we will make ourselves heard loud and clear:

The City Council must FIX the plan or KILL the plan. The future of Coney Island as an amusement destination hangs on the balance.

WHAT: Rally to Save Coney Island
WHEN: Sunday, July 26th at 1 p.m.
WHERE: By the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall

SCHEDULED SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS (thus far):
Coney Island "Mayor" and Mermaid Parade founder Dick Zigun
Historian and "Coney Island: Lost and Found" author Charles Denson
Cyclone operator and former Astroland co-owner Carol Albert
Owner of Coney Island's Lola Staar Souvenir Boutique Dianna Carlin
Miss Cyclone Angie Pontani
World Famous *BOB*
The Great Fredini
Mayoral candidate Rev. Billy Talen
Savitri D
Coney Island Musician AMO1
Boardwalk bard Amos Wengler

Please forward this to ALL your friends. This is our last best chance to draw citywide attention to this issue before the Council Vote. Let's make it count!

<img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.11" alt="July Rally" border="0">

----------

Phone Calls
Keep making phone calls! Call Quinn, Recchia, and your council member. Tell them that Coney Island amusements are a city-wide issue, and that the plan must be fixed. All the info you need to make a call is here (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdtrCjzEbvsCLs4TwkNGTjU67vUOzvHP75f ECPkFnax0d0cgnQFBtrJasrLqtPm5py8NiaUyDPe0URUF8aHA1 463ySXb6CCa-soXNO5i7bCaAxmg1WFlFWI1AJkADc7K4=). Call now!

Donations
If you would like to help our efforts but are not available to volunteer, you can make a small donation to our cause through our site (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdBVuy60hTQ0rBo9nhJZxmfgvMCFDr882-gKCOYYjbUpIcuJP9sHttMfo0JFf_bkU5d072SxTZpj8MASK7F6 HuONqIn7r8obeoz-r_ZY_HvYQOT4s_LQBr). Contributions go toward printing, site-hosting and sundry expenses. Every little bit helps.

saveconeyisland.net
Volunteer! (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdBVuy60hTQ0rBo9nhJZxmfgvMCFDr882-gKCOYYjbUpIcuJP9sHttMfo0JFf_bkU5d072SxTZpj8MASK7F6 HuONqIn7r8obeoz-r_ZY_HvYQOT4s_LQBr)
Write your representative! (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdBVuy60hTQ0rBo9nhJZxmfgvMCFDr882-gKCOYYjbUpIcuJP9sHttMfo0JFf_bkU5d072SxTZpj8MASK7F6 HuONqIn7r8obeoz-r_ZY_HvYQOT4s_LQBr)
Sing our petition! (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdBVuy60hTQ0rBo9nhJZxmfgvMCFDr882-gKCOYYjbUpIcuJP9sHttMfo0JFf_bkU5d072SxTZpj8MASK7F6 HuONqIn7r8obeoz-r_ZY_HvYQOT4s_LQBr)
Save Coney Island! (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102650831803&s=3792&e=001dQ1CL47BEfHdBVuy60hTQ0rBo9nhJZxmfgvMCFDr882-gKCOYYjbUpIcuJP9sHttMfo0JFf_bkU5d072SxTZpj8MASK7F6 HuONqIn7r8obeoz-r_ZY_HvYQOT4s_LQBr)
About Us Save Coney Island is a grassroots community organization committed to the revitalization of the Coney Island amusement district and the surrounding neighborhood. Visit us at saveconeyisland.net

[SuddenImpact]

WELL, BEING THAT I DON'T WANT CONEY ISLAND TO SUCK, I'LL BE THERE :)

Check the links below for the differences in Bloomie's plan and the Municipal Art Society Plan:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6YjsreT1Ru0/SlfAybMSZFI/AAAAAAAABLI/WlPmJK2-IZQ/s1600-h/09071005Coney12AcresWeb.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6YjsreT1Ru0/Sle3Mg6kdzI/AAAAAAAABKo/KszCLxeuqWo/s1600-h/09071001ConeyAT25AcresWeb.jpg


This group is fighting to expand the amusement district. You want Coney Island to not suck? Do something and attend this rally!

Final Save Coney Island Rally TOMORROW!!

Here's what you can do to SAVE CONEY ISLAND
JOIN
OUR MAILING LIST

VOLUNTEER
SIGN
THIS PETITION

WRITE
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Final Save Coney Island Rally (Sun.) before the City Council Vote!!

PLEASE ATTEND!

The City Council is voting next Wednesday on the City's flawed Coney Island plan. This Sunday, we will make ourselves heard loud and clear:

The City Council must FIX the plan or KILL the plan. The future of Coney Island as an amusement destination hangs on the balance.

WHAT: Rally to Save Coney Island
WHEN: Sunday, July 26th at 1 p.m.
WHERE: By the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall

SCHEDULED SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS (thus far):
Coney Island "Mayor" and Mermaid Parade founder Dick Zigun
Historian and "Coney Island: Lost and Found" author Charles Denson
Cyclone operator and former Astroland co-owner Carol Albert
Owner of Coney Island's Lola Staar Souvenir Boutique Dianna Carlin
Miss Cyclone Angie Pontani
World Famous *BOB*
The Great Fredini
Mayoral candidate Rev. Billy Talen
Savitri D
Coney Island Musician AMO1
Boardwalk bard Amos Wengler

Please forward this to ALL your friends. This is our last best chance to draw citywide attention to this issue before the Council Vote. Let's make it count!

<img name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.11" alt="July Rally" border="0">

----------

Phone Calls
Keep making phone calls! Call Quinn, Recchia, and your council member. Tell them that Coney Island amusements are a city-wide issue, and that the plan must be fixed. All the info you need to make a call is here. Call now!

Donations
If you would like to help our efforts but are not available to volunteer, you can make a small donation to our cause through our site. Contributions go toward printing, site-hosting and sundry expenses. Every little bit helps.

saveconeyisland.net
Volunteer!
Write your representative!
Sing our petition!
Save Coney Island!
About Us Save Coney Island is a grassroots community organization committed to the revitalization of the Coney Island amusement district and the surrounding neighborhood. Visit us at saveconeyisland.net

[Merry]

July 29th, 2009

Council Approves a Proposal to Redevelop Coney Island

By CHARLES V. BAGLI

With the Bloomberg administration laboring furiously to conclude a deal with a Coney Island landowner, the City Council on Wednesday afternoon approved the mayor’s ambitious plan to redevelop the seafront district once known as the world’s largest playground.

It was an expensive and bruising victory for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whose administration wants to establish a 27-acre entertainment district between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk, with 9.4 acres devoted exclusively to freak shows, arcades, and roller coasters and other rides.

New zoning, approved by the Council, would allow high-rise hotels on Surf Avenue and 4,500 apartments north and west of the amusements.
The Council approved the plan 44-2, as officials at City Hall continued work on a potential deal with Joseph J. Sitt, a developer who has been at odds with the Bloomberg administration even as he spent more than $90 million buying property in the area.

The Council, which obtained a number of concessions from the mayor, had also pressed the city to reach a compromise with Mr. Sitt, who was on vacation in France with his family on Wednesday. Negotiations with his lawyer, Jesse Masyr, continued until 11 p.m. on Tuesday and through much of Wednesday.

“By approving our administration’s plan to revitalize Coney Island, the Council has helped us breathe new life into a city treasure that’s been in decline for decades,” Mayor Bloomberg said after the vote. “Now we move forward with a plan that will return Coney Island to its former glory, ensure its future as a year-round destination for visitors and create a more livable, vibrant community for its residents.”

Mr. Bloomberg said there was still a lot of work to do, but he was optimistic that a deal could be worked out with landowners like Mr. Sitt. Under a tentative deal discussed Wednesday, according to officials and executives involved in the talks, the city would buy 6 of Mr. Sitt’s 10 acres, leaving the remaining property on Surf and Stillwell Avenues for him to develop.

Critics, including the group Save Coney Island and the Municipal Art Society of New York, say the city’s plan is flawed because the amusement district is too small and would be overwhelmed by development. Although the city’s new zoning for the area prohibits housing in the amusement area, critics complain that it would allow for up to four 27-story hotel towers along the south side of Surf Avenue, including one in front of the historic Wonder Wheel. And, they say, the city’s plan would encourage developers to demolish landmarks like Nathan’s hot dog stand.

“I think this is a very sad day for New York,” said Juan Rivero, a spokesman for Save Coney Island. “People who love Coney Island could see its historic amusement district shrink and its history erased. It’s up to the administration to mitigate some of the damage its plan could trigger.”

In the vote on the plan, “no” votes were cast by Councilman Tony Avella of Queens and Charles Barron of Brooklyn, who said the plan would turn the area into a “Coney Island for the elite.” Councilwoman Rosie Mendez of Manhattan abstained.

There is little left today of Coney Island’s once-vast amusement district aside from a three-acre stub with the Cyclone roller coaster, the Wonder Wheel and the Parachute Jump. Mr. Sitt bought the Astroland amusement park and closed it as part of plans for what he once described as a Las Vegas-style resort. But the city opposed his plan for apartment towers or time-share hotels in the district.

Aside from buying Mr. Sitt’s land for a price that could exceed $60 million, the city also agreed in negotiations with Council members and union and housing advocates to increase to 35 percent, from 20 percent, the amount of new housing set aside for poor and working-class families. The administration also agreed to set up a job-training program for local residents.

It is still unclear how soon new housing will be built, given the anemic economy, and whether the new amusement district will attract a developer who can build new amusements that will serve tourists, newcomers and working-class New Yorkers.

Charles Bendit, a chief executive at Taconic Investment Partners, which owns about 10 acres of land for residential development west and north of the Cyclones ballpark, said he was elated by the Council’s vote. But he and other real estate executives conceded that development projects depended on the availability of financing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/nyregion/30coney.html?ref=realestate

[ablarc]

The Council, which obtained a number of concessions from the mayor, had also pressed the city to reach a compromise with Mr. Sitt, who was on vacation in France with his family on Wednesday.
If I had my way, we would all be on vacation in France.

(Maybe permanently.)

[BrooklynRider]

I guess Mr, Sitt couldn't find a nice room or a nice beach in Coney Island to vacation with his family. Even if he did, his kids would be bored because the big landowner in Coney Island gutted the place and left nothing short of an environmental hazard for residents.

[BrooklynRider]

November 12, 2009

City to Buy 7 Acres in Coney Island, Hoping to Spark a Revival

By CHARLES V. BAGLI

After a year of ultimatums, threats and stop-and-go talks, the Bloomberg administration has agreed to pay $95.6 million to a developer for seven acres in the heart of Coney Island, according to executives on both sides of the negotiations. It is a crucial step forward for the city’s vision of turning the faded and mostly dormant seaside amusement district into an exciting destination reminiscent of its heyday.

The city’s deal with the developer, Joseph J. Sitt, capped a long standoff between the two sides, with each claiming it had the best plan for the revival of the fabled playground, but neither able to bring its plan to fruition in a deadly real estate market.

The city will announce the deal on Thursday, but the reality of a revived Coney Island remains a long way off.

Mr. Sitt began buying land in Coney Island in 2005, evicting tenants and promising a modern, Las Vegas-style resort with hotels and condominiums among the rides. Today, much of the land sits vacant. While the Cyclone roller coaster, the Wonder Wheel and Nathan’s hot dog stand remain, the Thunderbolt, Child’s restaurant and even the Astroland amusement park are gone — cleared away for new ventures that were never built.

This summer, amid heated negotiations, neither side wanted to be accused of stunting the area’s growth, so each brought in competing attractions. City Hall had Ringling Brothers open a circus tent, and Mr. Sitt unveiled a tent colony of sideshows. The tents are now empty, torn by the November winds.

“It doesn’t look good,” Dick Zigun, who runs the Coney Island Museum and the annual Mermaid Parade, said of the area. He said he was hopeful that the city “is as good as its word.”

Each side claimed victory, though no one wanted to comment for the record before Thursday’s announcement. While Mr. Sitt got much less than the $140 million he had wanted for 10.5 of the 12.5 acres he owned, the $95.6 million for 6.9 acres came to more than $300 a square foot — a huge amount in the current market. Mr. Sitt, chief executive of Thor Equities, plans to develop hotels and stores on his remaining 5.6 acres.

City officials did say that in the next few days they would begin soliciting offers for an interim amusement operator before seeking potential developers to create a year-round destination, which would ideally include a diverse mix of thrill rides, games and attractions between the Cyclone and the KeySpan ballpark. As a first step, the administration is sending representatives to the annual convention of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Las Vegas next week.

The city now has the opportunity to entice a range of operators whose competing visions would make for a dynamic Coney Island, rather than a single vision that turns Coney Island into an amusement mall, said Michael Immerso, author of “Coney Island, the People’s Playground.”

Mr. Sitt founded the Ashley Stewart plus-size clothing chain, and his company controls about 12 million square feet of retail, hotel and commercial property in cities across the country.

Mr. Sitt’s proposal called for a $1.5 billion Las Vegas style resort with a huge glass-enclosed water park, wild rides, many stores and condominiums or time-share hotels in tall towers near the beach.

But he clashed with city officials, who said that housing in the amusement district would inevitably clash with the flashing lights, clanging and dinging of the rides. Mr. Sitt’s land, however, was key to the city’s redevelopment plan, because it sat in the heart of the district.

A year ago, the city offered $110 million for 10.5 acres of Mr. Sitt’s property, saying the price would go down if the deal was not accepted immediately. Mr. Sitt, who had asked for more than $140 million, went on vacation.

In April, the city offered $105 million.

Over the summer, the city rezoned a 19-block area of Coney Island, including a 27-acre amusement and entertainment district and, to the north and west of the district, almost 5,000 apartments and 500,000 square feet of retail. Given the deadlock and Mr. Sitt’s eviction of many tenants, neither side wanted to be blamed for the final decimation of the Coney Island amusements — hence this summer’s competing attractions.

The $95.6 million covers 6.9 acres, most of it along the Boardwalk, between the Cyclone and KeySpan Park.

The city’s plan bars residential development within the amusement district east of the ballpark and south of Surf Avenue. Yet, it does provide for the development of up to 4,500 new apartments, with 840 set aside for low- and moderate-income tenants. On the six blocks west of the ballpark in what the city now calls Coney West, developers could erect as many as 2,700 units.

Also, up to 1,800 apartments can be built in Coney North, five blocks on the north side of Surf Avenue, between Stillwell Avenue and West 20th Street.

One residential developer, Taconic Investment Partners, controls about 10 acres where it could build 2,000 apartments.

“I think the city made a good choice in buying the land in order to protect the area along the boardwalk for amusements forever,” said Dennis Vourderis, who family runs the only amusement park left, Dino’s, and the Wonder Wheel, a city landmark. “It won’t be threatened by the development of apartments, shopping malls or anything else. Now the question is, Who do we bring in to build this billion-dollar amusement
park?”

But Juan Rivero, a spokesman for Save Coney Island, a community group that has been critical of both Mr. Sitt’s and the city’s plans, noted that even though only amusements would be allowed in the special district, apartments and high-rise hotels up to 27 stories would be allowed right next to it. He worried that this proximity could "permanently compromise Coney Island’s potential to once again become a world-class destination.”

Mr. Sitt has done very well buying but not building things in Brooklyn. In 2005, he bought a parcel west of the amusement district for $13 million and sold it 14 months later for $90 million. He also bought the Albee Square Mall in Downtown Brooklyn for $25 million in 2001, vowing to renovate. He sold it in 2007 for $125 million, without the makeover.

[Merry]

Coney Floats

City reaches deal with developer, but new theme park years off

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/image/ConeyAerial.jpg
The city completed the purchase of roughly 7 acres in Coney Island today, but it could be years before new rides, hotels, and housing are completed.

This summer was a quiet one for Coney Island. With no Astroland, Sodom by the Sea was a shadow of its former self, even with the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, and Ringling Brothers Circus in full swing. It has been months since the circus left town and the few rides have gone quiet, but the Bloomberg administration promises Coney Island is due for a comeback next summer, now that it has finally reached a deal with local developer Joe Sitt to buy 6.9 acres of his boardwalk-bordering property.

“Coney Island will remain a destination for people who want to have a good time and it will continue to be an icon for New York,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at City Hall press conference today announcing the $95.6 million deal.

The city acquired three properties, including the 3-acre former Astroland site that stretches from Surf Avenue to the Boardwalk as well as a 2-acre lot and a 1.6-acre lot from the boardwalk to Wonder Wheel Way, a new street running throught the middle of the amusement district created by the rezoning of the area earlier this year (http://archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=3727).

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/ConeyMap(1).jpg (http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/ConeyMap%281%29.jpg)
(large image)

While today’s deal ensures the boardwalk will continue to be lined with rides and amusements instead of condos and hotel towers, it will still be years, if not decades, before Coney Island is once again the world-class theme park the Bloomberg administration envisions. The first major issue is finally connecting much of the area to the grid, which involves a $150 million infrastructure investment by the city across the 47-acre area , providing stable electrical, plumbing, and other amenities to support large-scale development.

The city also wants to keep the area vibrant while it is in transition, so a request for proposals is being issued tomorrow to find an operator for the three parcels just acquired. The city hopes to get amusements up and running by next year on the Astorland site with a phased approach for the other two. And while those amusements will be only semi-permanent as the build out of the area continues, the mayor emphasized they will be twice as large as what was offered last summer. “We should have 10 acres of amusements open for business,” he said.

Over time, the three parcels will be incorporated with the two extant amusements, Deno’s Wonder Wheel kiddie park and the Cyclone, as well as a parcel adjacent to Keyspan Park for which the city is still negotiating, and Steeplechase Plaza, a new park at the base of the Parachute Jump that is currently in design. While these pieces will be run by a handful of operators in the interim, the expectation is that they will be combined at some point into a single, contiguous 12-acre park, though this process could take at least a decade given current contracts.

http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/Boardwalk.jpg
The city is hoping to rejuvinate the boardwalk and build new rides, though some are still wary of hotels proposed along Surf Avenue.

“It’s a mitzvah created today by the Bloomberg administration,” Dick Zigun, founder of Coney Island U.S.A, said in an interview. He pointed out that, while some people wanted a larger park, there has been nothing on this scale since the 15-acre Steeplechase Park closed in 1964.

It remains unclear why a deal was reached now, except that both sides said they have been working on it diligently. The city’s final offer on Sitt’s 10.5 acres of Coney land was $105 million, made last February. Sitt countered with $165 million, saying that was what he required to make his $92 million acquisition profitable. Both sides appear to have met in the middle, as Sitt retains more land while the city spends slightly less money, though more per square foot.

Sitt, for his part, appeared excited at the possibility not only of building two hotels on Surf Avenue but also having land to operate for amusements.

“Your dream is going to come true and I’m so pleased you allowed me to remain a part of it,” the developer said during the press conference. He noted that just as permanent amusements would be slow to arise, his projects would take time and be dependent not only on the recovery of the real estate market but also the infrastructure improvements. "Really, our time line, to be blunt, will ride on the coattails of the city," he said.

Some amusement advocates are less enthusiastic, however. While Zigun said today’s deal was the best that could be hoped for, the group Save Coney Island is calling for further acquisitions because its members believe a larger amusement area is required to create a critical mass of visitors. “We thing it’s a good step, but it’s not really enough,” spokesperson Juan Ramos said. “It doesn’t address the problems the city’s rezoning creates of enclosing a huge chunk of Coney Island in a wall of high rises.”

Matt Chaban

http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=4035