Coney Island "Renaissance"

[muscle1313]

Big Plans For Coney Island?
*
May 26, 2003
By Jesse Serwer

A major announcement about Coney Island is just weeks away, Councilman Domenic Recchia revealed last week.

“In the weeks to come there will be a major announcement of how [the mayor], along with the City Council, plans to bring back Coney Island in such a way never seen before,” Recchia said at the annual Coney Island Beach opening on Wednesday.

The councilman did not elaborate, and repeated calls to his office were not returned. Recchia and Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff are currently in the process of creating a local development corporation for Coney Island.

Recchia’s “announcement” comes on the heels of a plan unveiled earlier this year by the Coney Island-based Astella Development Corporation. After gathering input from community groups, elected *and city officials, local residents and property owners and the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce over several years, the corporation released a plan on its website that includes an indoor sportsplex next to KeySpan Park and a water park and hotel to the east of the amusement park area.

“We wanted to give the city some type of incentive to build these things,” Astella Executive Director Judy Orlando said of the “Coney Island: A Vision Plan.”

Speaking on the Brooklyn cable access show “That’s Brooklyn” earlier this month, Recchia said a Coney Island sportsplex could make New York City more attractive to the Olympic selection committee. The councilman said he would also like to see an indoor pool built.

The sportsplex, as envisioned in the plan, would be an all-purpose arena that could host professional basketball games, amateur and school sports events. The arena would likely be constructed on a platform above the Abe Stark ice rink’s parking lot.

“That makes good sense,” said Orlando. “You could have the arena without taking away from needed parking.”

“This is what we hope to see — now we have to work with the property owners, the city and developers to see what could be implemented and go from there,” Orlando said.

The sportsplex could be the start of a Times Square-like renaissance for Coney Island. Developer Bruce Ratner, who was influential in the revitalization of both downtown Brooklyn and Times Square and whose plan to bring a sportsplex to Coney Island was nixed in the late ’90s in favor of KeySpan Park, still owns property nearby.

An unnamed source said Ratner, who helped bring Disney to Times Square, could be looking once again to attract Disney to Brooklyn’s shores.

The same source said the groundwork for re-development of the entire area is currently being laid down by the city — just look at the renovation of Stillwell Avenue and other area subway stations, the new sand brought in by Army engineers, and even the new, clean bathrooms at Nathan’s.

Astella is currently printing up copies of its plan and hopes to hold a formal announcement and celebration in the near future, saying it wants to market the area and work with the city to implement this.

Coney Island Assemblywoman Adele Cohen said she liked what she saw in the Astella plans but was unsure whether they were feasible amidst the current climate of economic hardship and budget cuts.

“It is hard to say what would be a reality — if anything will come to fruition. There is no money for anything right now,” she said. “But I am delighted to hear about anything that would revitalize Coney Island.”

“A hotel and water park would be just fine - they go along with Coney Island’s mission as a fun place,” Cohen said. “I support anything that would enhance the amusement area, and provide jobs for local residents but the most important thing is to make sure schools have roofs, our people have jobs, and public transportation is affordable.”

http://www.brooklynskyline.com/news_...=ne&na=385

[billyblancoNYC]

One can only hope this actually means something.

A huge, modern amusement park addition to the classics, some indoor rides and an indoor/outdoor waterpark, the sportsplex - maybe bring the Nets and Devils over, then they'll actually sell out, some nice new condos. *

CI should be as great as it once was, it's a major asset NYC needs to exploit.

Anyone have any concrete details?

[dbhstockton]

I hope it's not a casino.

[billyblancoNYC]

Why not a casino? *I've been wishing for years that NYC develops casinos. *Here, though, should be amusement and residnetial based. *Now, the Rockways on the other hand.

Or maybe they can build a new island and have a little casino village. More money for NYC, people don't go to Jersey, CT, and Vegas. *It's a win-win all around.

[NYatKNIGHT]

A casino could be on a boat at South Street Seaport.

A water park would be fun at Coney Island, they could use more exhilerating rides.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Back to its roots. Seaside amusement and recreation.
Can't you just picture it?

[Kris]

I sure can. Moving Beauty.

(Edited by Christian Wieland at 4:19 pm on June 9, 2003)

[billyblancoNYC]

Damn those projects. *Can they not raze them and move the people out. *You could fit a huge amusement/water/sports facility there, maybe with some theaters, stores, bars, etc. *Also, some condos and hotels. *Kinda like a better, more fun Miami!

[Edward]

Coney Island - not quite Disney yet.

[Gulcrapek]

^That's where the proposed waterpark would be. It's the only major parcel of undeveloped land within the amusement area.

[billyblancoNYC]

I thought they were planning a wterpark for Randall's Island, though.

[muscle1313]

Join my Coney Island group here and read about the big news that came out today about the Parachute Jump Plans!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coneyisland2/

[TLOZ Link5]

Daily News:

Coney biz catching the wave

By Denis Hamill

Coney Island. ...

No matter how much sand passes through its hourglass, Coney Island never dies. If anything, in the past few years, since KeySpan Cyclones stadium stole the heart of the Poor Man's Paradise, it has been going through a rebirth.

"The Cyclones have been a home run for Coney," says Dennis Vourderis, owner of Deno's WonderWheel Park, adjusting his shades on a rare sunny spring day last week. "A rising tide lifts all boats, so I think business has improved at least a good 10% for everyone since the stadium opened."

During the winter, Vourderis and his partner-brother, Steve, invested a sizable chunk of that profit in the business. In February, 12 cement trucks sloshed into the amusement park through 6 inches of snow and poured a 12,000-square-foot deck. The brothers added metal railings and wooden platforms for the 25 rides, hand-painted the 83-year-old WonderWheel with 150 gallons of paint and installed 400-watt spotlights to ignite the Coney Island night.

"My father always put the money back into the business," Vourderis says, walking out onto the Boardwalk. "He came from Greece, opened a hot dog stand and parlayed that into an American dream by buying this place. So we believe in Coney." He stops on the corner of W. 12th St. to buy a soda from Corner Gyros, next door to Playland. "If I didn't believe in Coney's future, we wouldn't have bought the land for these two places," Vourderis says.

We enter Ruby's saloon - now run by the late Ruby Jacobs' daughter Cindy - a salt-preserved time warp, the last of the great bawdy Boardwalk saloons where faded photos celebrate Coney's storied history.

Cruising the Boardwalk

Afew doors away, Cha Cha's Café, a branch of the terrific Italian coffee and dessert oasis on Mulberry St., is doing brisk business. We stroll farther down the Boardwalk, passing a Nathan's outlet, a clam bar and the $30 million new bathrooms and pavilions that look out onto a pristine beach and the twinkling sea.

New information kiosks announce upcoming events: the Mermaid Parade, Siren Music Festival, free karaoke outside Deno's every Friday night, fireworks every Friday night starting June 27, at 9:30, and, for the first time in 25 years, a July 4 fireworks spectacle.

"Business is hurting right now because we've had a bad spring weatherwise," Vourderis says. "And they're working on the subway station, but we can't complain. We've asked for a new station for 20 years, so when they close it to rebuild, you just can't moan. When it's finished in two years, it'll be a beautiful portal to Coney that'll boost business.

"Meanwhile, people will take the shuttle buses from the subway," he says.

But like the rest of the city, Vourderis says the Coney businesses are paying 25% more in taxes, 12% additional insurance. Add that to a cold, rainy spring, and it's been a tough season.

"But we're optimistic," Vourderis says. "My father always said, 'All you need is a sunny day.'"
We pass the miniature golf, batting cage and go-cart attractions. Steeplechase Pier pulsates with fishermen and strollers.

Then Vourderis points up at two workers toiling in the steel web of the reassembled 250-foot Parachute Jump, Brooklyn's Eiffel Tower, gleaming red against a baby blue sky, the bottom half still sheathed in a white skirt inside of which workers remove the toxic lead paint of old.

This city landmark, which was moved to the Boardwalk after the 1939 World's Fair and closed in the '60s soon after Steeplechase Park, is the buzz of Coney.

"Borough President Marty Markowitz asked me last year if it could be functional again," Vourderis says. "I said, 'Marty, we've sent men to the moon. Of course it can be reopened.' So they're refurbishing. It'll cost up to $5million to make operational again. The Parks Department will own it, and the bids to run it will be open to anyone. I'm definitely going to bid."

Planning ahead

Vourderis looks down on the empty acreage surrounding the towering structure and says that to make it work, the land would have to be raised to Boardwalk level. Then he'd open an old-fashioned beer garden and restaurant, with a raw bar, put in some arcades, souvenir stands and other moneymaking attractions. Plus the ride would probably cost $20 a head.

"We're going to offer a realistic bid, and a plan," Vourderis says. "Bring back the Parachute, add that to the Aquarium, Astroland, WonderWheel Park and Cyclones stadium and a new subway station, and Coney Island will last forever."

Originally published on June 10, 2003

© Copyright New York Daily News

[Kris]

Fortunately, the projects are probably there to stay. They aren't all ugly, but as a backround certainly aren't compatible with Disney's image. So maybe they're precious. Coney Island is a huge opportunity; it doesn't need a providential corporate "benefactor" to revive it in exchange for selling its soul.

[muscle1313]

Mayor to make Coney Island Announcement!!!!

The suspense is killing me.

Brooklyn Skyline - last paragraph

City Councilman Domenic Recchia was glad funding was restored for the
New York Aquarium, which lies in his district. He added that there
will be a announcement made in the next few weeks by the council
speaker and mayor about a major project in Coney Island.

http://www.brooklynskyline.com/news_article.asp?na=446