City Looks to Compromise on Coney
The city has a new plan for Coney Island that attempts to forge a detente with local landowners over competing visions for the area, according to an article in today’s Times. In November the Bloomberg administration revealed that it wanted to control 15 acres of land north of the Boardwalk between KeySpan Park and the…
The city has a new plan for Coney Island that attempts to forge a detente with local landowners over competing visions for the area, according to an article in today’s Times. In November the Bloomberg administration revealed that it wanted to control 15 acres of land north of the Boardwalk between KeySpan Park and the New York Aquarium for a year-round amusement district, which would require buying land from property owners like Thor Equities. Thor, the largest property owner in the area, wanted to build a smaller amusement district as well as condo-hotels and a lot of retail. The Bloomberg administration has been in talks with Thor and other landowners since late fall, and it’s now proposing a 9-acre, city-owned amusement park and 1.9 million square feet of space where retail, restaurants, and hotels could be built. Thor has most recently pushed for the non-amusement park area to total 2.9 million square feet, but a lawyer for the firm says he’s “guardedly optimistic” about the city’s new plan. This is a plan that will preserve the iconic nature of Coney Island and enhance the amusement district, while generating economic opportunities and jobs for local residents, says Deputy Mayor Robert C. Lieber. We’re trying to bling it up.
City’s Coney Island Design Revised to Break Deadlock [NY Times]
Images from The New York Times.
N.Y., your mayor has no backbone. First he gives away half of coney island to one developer who wants to build condos. He is even giving that developer an entire city park with a ice skating rink to tear down and build over. He promises to save the other half and is now backing down to the other developer and only preserving nine acres. Watch how by the end of his term he will have given that other developer permission to build condos on the rest of coney island and will have given him the other city park.
You New Yorkers are calling him the development mayor as if this is something good. It only shows how much of a pushover Bloomberg really is. Guliani, Koch, Beame, even Dinkins was strong enough to say no to developers. Lendsay was a moron but stood up against Donald Trump when he wanted to build condos along the beach. Bloomberg is going to go down as the mayor who allowed greedy developers to destroy coney island and the rest of the city.
Hey. Ya know what? How can I get in on the give away? I want to build condos in central park. I think I have a very good chance to force Bloomberg to let me do it. Plaza on the great lawn anyone?
Oh look, it’s the webmaster from Douchewickbk.com, displaying his usual contempt for the proletariat of his adopted city. I suppose you’re disappointed it’s not all going condo, aren’t you? Go back to Florida, prick.
Finally, the City of New York gives us what we need: socialized amusement.
There were several 1,500+ foot piers on Coney Island in until the 1940s. Casino Pier and Morey’s Piers in New Jersey are perfect examples of what was once at Coney Island and what could be there today.
I’ve been hearing rumors that Disney is getting involved in Coney Island – first a neighbor said it, then a bunch of my students said they’d heard it. One said she’d attempted to open a business there and had been told that she couldn’t, because of Disney’s impending purchase.
Is there any credence to this? That sounds…dreadful!
9 acre park is way too small!!!!!!!!!!!
An off-shore amusement park isn’t such a bad idea, maybe the city can get a deal on some used oil platforms.
With the rising cost of airfare, taking off to Florida for $200 round trip is going to quickly become a thing of the past as soon as all the derivative contracts the big carriers have for jet fuel expire. The reality is long distance travel is going to return to being a luxury. There is a certain element of urgency in getting this district cleaned up.
What is the big hold up?
1) The city keeps trying to work with these developers. They are never going to agree on a solution, and this revised plan with a tiny 9-acre “park” is just comical. The 25-acre site was already practically too small for an amusement park. The 9-acre site is too small for anything significant, unless they allow huge piers to be built into the ocean. Either scrap the preservation plans or eminent domain the whole stretch from the Cyclone to the stadium. Grant a cheap, long term lease to six flags or some other competent operator who can effectively build something there.
The city is opposed to this however because six flags and major carriers will never build anything there unless they can strictly control entrance and exit to the park. This area can easily become dangerous, and they are right to want the park to be enclosed. The insane demand that the area be “open to the community” will never bring anything significant to the area. This HAS to revised.
2) The primary reason for the decline of Coney Island was the construction of the projects out there. This is still a major reason preventing the area’s resurgence. Much more so than elsewhere, this would be a great opportunity to follow in Chicago’s footsteps and put an end to high rise public housing. Demolish those monstrosities and relocate the people into smaller buildings throughout the borough. That would free up a lot of additional land that could be part of the redevelopment of the area.
Wow, a Dave & Busters chain restaurant for Coney Island? That will really bling things up!