So what is the general prediction on when this project will be fully developed?
|
Quote:
But what will be opening this summer is the new Luna Park, named after the original Luna Park in Coney Island. It will be operated by Zamperla USA... http://www.zamperla.com/ The completed redevelopment of the core amusement district will see as many indoor attractions as outdoor, making the shore a year 'round destination. It'll be fantastic to have Coney open at Christmas. |
http://www.observer.com/2010/commerc...shows?page=all
Freak On! Texan Takes Coney Space to Compete With Other Sideshows http://www.observer.com/files/full/G...20Building.jpg By Emily Geminder February 9, 2010 Coney Island's oldest building will soon play a role in its oldest rivalry: the vying for the biggest, baddest freak show. Texan sideshow owner John Strong is making a bid for the title, signing a new lease at the Grashorn Building on Surf Avenue, according to the New York Post. His competition includes Dick Zigun's Coney Island USA Circus Sideshow, and, if a deal with the city is finalized, an amusement park run by Zamperla, called Luna Park. Built in the 1880s, the Surf Avenue building was home to Grashorn's Hardware, which outfitted much of early Coney Island's burgeoning amusement industry. The Municipal Art Society has made a push for the city to recognize the building as a landmark, so far to no avail. The building is owned by developer Joe Sitt, who bought up much of Coney Island in recent years for a proposed amusement park called Dreamland. When Mr. Strong first came to town last summer, he leased part of the former Astroland site, which Mr. Sitt has since sold to the city. The original Luna Park and Dreamland were among Coney Island's first competing amusement parks. At Luna Park, a herd of elephants roamed the land, including one who was electrocuted by Thomas Edison. The proprietors of Dreamland, meanwhile, recruited 300 little people to live in a small-scale village called Lilliputia and, to gain a wider audience, encouraged the community to engage in sexually promiscuous behavior. ________________________ http://www.nypost.com/p/city_conside...VAQFrug2EUIoFI City considering landmark designation for Coney Island Theatre February 9, 2010 By RICH CALDER It opened in 1924 with the intention of turning Coney Island into a year-round tourist destination. And now city officials are considering giving "landmark" designation to the long-shuttered Coney Island Theatre building, so it could be protected and eventually become a key part of Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to finally revive the fabled – but rundown — summer seaside district into a year-round attraction. "If we’re going to be serious about getting people to Coney Island year-round, we need a live entertainment venue, and this 2,500-seat theater not only showed movies in its heyday, but offered Broadway-style live shows," said Dick Zigun, of Coney Island USA, which submitted the proposal. "We're excited." However, Kansas Fried Chicken king Horace Bullard and business partner Peter Sheffer, who co-own the Surf Avenue building, said they oppose landmark status because it would "restrict" redevelopment in the amusement district. "The icons of old Coney Island should be used as an incorporation of a new Coney Island without placement, size, and design restrictions," they said in an e-mail. "We do not think that the building without modification enhances the long-term viability of the amusement district. Landmarking the building will stymie the future growth of a renowned amusement area that has always been about the latest, greatest and newest." The Landmarks Preservation Commission said it will host a public hearing on the matter in the coming months. The 1920 construction of the Stillwell Avenue subway station and construction of the boardwalk, which made the beachfront publicly accessible for the first time, paved the way for a revamped Coney Island and the building, which is Coney Island’s tallest and a modest interpretation of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. The site is unusual for its combination of a theater with a full-size office building, something seen more in Manhattan’s theater district than the outer boroughs. According to a report released by the city it "was constructed in 1924-25 to the designs of experienced theater architects Reilly & Hall, with associate architect Samuel L. Malkind, all of whom were protégés of the famous theater architect Thomas W. Lamb. "The builder was the Chanin Construction Company, specialists in theater construction. Opened on June 27, 1925 with screenings of the silent film ‘The Sporting Venus’ and live performances by the famous Siamese twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, the seven-story neo-Renaissance Revival style structure housed a 2,500-seat auditorium theater for vaudeville and motion pictures, as well as six stories of office space. "Shortly after its opening, the theater came under the operation of Marcus Loew, founder of one of the nation’s premier movie theater chains. According to one source, Al Jolson performed at Loew’s Coney Island Theatre on August 11, 1949." Renamed "Shore Theater" in 1964, it fell on hard times in its final years as an adult movie house and bingo parlor before closing for good in 1973. |
Quote:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/ny...11seaside.html Clash Over Plans for a Brooklyn Park http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...ticleLarge.jpg Free summer concerts are offered at the band shell at Seaside Park, also known as Asser Levy Park, on the edge of Coney Island. By MIREYA NAVARRO February 10, 2010 The way Marty Markowitz sees it, the rundown nine-acre park where Coney Island and Brighton Beach meet is ripe for a sparkling transformation. Mr. Markowitz, the Brooklyn borough president, envisions Asser Levy Park, also known as Seaside Park, as the gateway to a spruced-up amusement complex evoking Coney Island’s splashy past. An enormous new outdoor amphitheater would have room for 8,000 people and draw top entertainers, he said — maybe even favorites of his like Carole King or Neil Diamond. “It’ll be absolutely gorgeous,” Mr. Markowitz said, and “a really great attraction for the future of Coney Island.” City officials hope to have the amphitheater, the largest in a city park, ready for the 2013 outdoor concert season. But for many neighbors, the project is about as subtle as a spaceship. They say they like Asser Levy Park just as it is — a quiet oasis with a modest band shell — not as a place, they say, that would draw more traffic, disrupt services at two synagogues and, perhaps most critically, diminish their only decent patch of open space. “His dream is our nightmare,” said Al Turk, president of Temple Beth Abraham, on Sea Breeze Avenue, opposite the park. “They’re destroying a park to turn it over to a concrete amphitheater. This thing is right on top of us.” The dispute playing out in this corner of Brooklyn reflects a clash of visions between the residents of an immigrant enclave whose biggest community event in the park is the annual Russian Heritage Festival and city officials longing for a Coney Island entertainment district that will restore the wider area to glory. It is also a clash between development and conservation in a city where open space is ever more precious. “I need quiet and the trees,” said Rafael Grugman, 62, a professor of computer science who plays chess in the park and was strolling through it the other day. New York City lags well behind other cities in green space. It offers 4.6 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, compared with a median of 6.8 acres in the nation’s 13 most densely populated areas, according to the Trust for Public Land. Of the five boroughs, Brooklyn has the second least amount of parkland per person, after Manhattan, officials from the parks department say. As the city’s Department of Design and Construction prepares an environmental assessment for the parks department and the Design Commission, which has final approval over the plans, neighbors have gathered more than 12,000 signatures on a petition opposing the project. “This is an enormous project that should be in a commercial area,” said Geoffrey Croft, executive director of NYC Park Advocates, a watchdog group that has joined the fray. The two sides locked horns after the unveiling last year of the ambitious park redesign, by Grimshaw Architects, an international firm that specializes in public projects and environmental design. The estimated price tag is $64 million, with Mr. Markowitz’s office footing $54 million and the mayor’s office paying the rest. The plan calls for rebuilding, moving and expanding the park’s playground and bathrooms and creating gardens and pathways and a storm-water system to prevent flooding. Yet those elements are eclipsed by the proposed 65,000-square-foot amphitheater, which would replace the 8,000-square-foot band shell now used for free concerts in July and August. Grimshaw’s plan calls for a saddle-shape roof, rising eight stories at its highest point, over an elevated stage, and seating for 5,000. The amphitheater would be set 22 feet above the ground and include an open 29,000-square-foot lawn area that would accommodate an additional 3,000 people. Proponents argue that very few trees will be lost to make room for the project and that the only net loss of green space would be the 22,000 square feet reserved for accommodations backstage. But many residents say the project’s sheer size would undermine their tranquil buffer between the Coney Island Boardwalk and the New York Aquarium on one side and residential buildings on the other. Parents have objected to relocating the playground closer to the street and traffic fumes. And older residents say they fear their sleepy park could wind up providing entertainment year-round to justify the cost of the amphitheater. Yet some residents view the project in a positive light. “Anything would be better than now,” said Philip Snyder, 24, who was walking his dog in the park recently. He noted the park’s state of disrepair, including missing benches and a patch of dust in front of the band shell. “It’d make the place a lot nicer and increase the price of homes.” Many other residents say they would also like to see the park fixed up — without the amphitheater. But they have a tough opponent in Mr. Markowitz, 65, who has promoted the free concerts for decades and serves as the master of ceremonies at Asser Levy. Already he has Ms. King, Mr. Diamond and Lionel Ritchie on his concert wish list. “They don’t want anything that attracts anyone who doesn’t live a block away,” he said of the opponents. “I’m not going to allow folks who have such narrow vision to stop the future.” Adrian Benepe, the city’s commissioner of parks, said that efforts would be made to address the neighborhood’s concerns, but that residents were up against a long tradition of live music in the city’s green spaces. “The life of New York takes place in its parks,” he said. “It’s our common backyard. It’s an often boisterous place — that’s what makes them fun and safe.” “What we have to remember,” he added, “is that parks just don’t serve immediate neighborhoods. Parks are citywide resources.” Yet opponents may have found a weapon in the city’s administrative code. A provision bans the use of amplified sound within 500 feet of a school or church during hours of classroom work or worship, and Mr. Turk said his synagogue would seek to have it enforced during the Sabbath, Friday night and Saturday. In a hallowed New York tradition, even the park’s location has become politically charged: residents say it is in Brighton Beach, and the city says Coney Island. |
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/b...UpCU22W5NY9hUJ
Coney Island Parachute Jump - No climbing allowed! By Joe Maniscalco February 15, 2010 “Brooklyn’s Eiffel Tower” will soon be outfitted with new “anti-climbing” devices designed to thwart anyone (are you listening, Spidey?) from scaling the 262-foot-tall steel edifice. The New York City Economic Development Corporation says that the safeguards are just a type of fencing that is “relatively unobtrusive” and will not detract from the 170-ton tower’s iconic figure. “Not like a chain-link [fence], more attractive and designed,” EDC spokesperson Libby Langsdorf told this newspaper. Last week this paper reported that the Landmarks Preservation Commission had approved permits allowing EDC to affix “anti-climbing” devices directly onto the Parachute Jump. The city expects there will be a lot more foot traffic around the base of the Parachute Jump when Coney Island’s beloved B&B Carousel finally reappears inside Steeplechase Plaza - possibly for the 2012 season. The Parachute Jump, moved to its present location between West 16th and West 19th streets after the 1939-40 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, is already enclosed with a fence to keep people out. In recent years, however, at least one daredevil has successfully managed to scale the tower on more than one occasion and hang a flag on the structure. The last incident occurred over the summer. “Right now, the Jump is enclosed by a fence, deterring individuals from vandalizing or climbing it,” Parks Department spokesperson Phil Abramson said. “However, under the redesign for Steeplechase Plaza, the Jump will be in more of a more active, open space area, necessitating the need for such anti-climbing devices.” City officials also hope to introduce a new lighting system to the Parachute Jump in an effort to “bling it up.” Borough President Marty Markowitz allocated $1.4 million in capital funding four years ago to design the Parachute Jump’s existing lighting scheme. The beep has also long harbored hopes of re-activating the Parachute Jump as a thrill ride someday. It was declared a landmark in 1977 and again in 1989 after questions about its structural integrity were proven unfounded. In 1991, the tower, originally brought to Coney Island by George C. Tilyou, benefited from a $700,000 restoration project aimed at cleaning and strengthening the structure. New York City landmarks just seem to attract daredevils. Back in 2006, base jumper Jeb Corliss was busted when he attempted to hurl himself off the Empire State Building’s 86th floor’s observation deck. He later sued the city for the arrest. |
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/b...nBNxwyPlE5RjBN
Coney Island to add new amusement park, with 19 new rides By RICH CALDER February 16, 2010 It may have been snowing today, but Mayor Bloomberg had summer on his mind. Hizzoner gleefully unveiled 23 new Coney Island rides — including a "human sling shot" — that he said will revive the long rundown seaside area. Bloomberg said 19 of the rides, which will be part of the new Luna Park, are set to open in May at the former Astroland site. Luna Park, named after the once-famous Coney Island playground that closed in 1944, will offer an array of thrills from a kiddie coaster to the newly announced "Air Race" — where riders soar and barrel roll around a control tower. And by mid-2011, four more rides will open as part of a separate amusement area called Scream Zone. The long-vacant Stillwell Avenue lot will showcase two rollercoasters, go-karts and a "human sling shot" where riders are launched a stomach-churning 200 feet in the air. "Coney Island is coming back big time!" Bloomberg declared at the New York Aquarium while announcing a 10-year lease with Central Amusement International. CAI — which operates Victorian Gardens in Central Park — is leasing 6.2 acres from the city for $100,000 a year over ten years. The city will also reel in about several hundred thousand dollars more a year from its cut of the gross receipts, a city official told The Post. The company will invest $30 million to build and operate the new rides by renowned Italian amusement designer Antonio Zamperla. "Coney Island has long been a place of innovative thrills and attractions," said CAI Vice President Peter Pelle. "Our dedicated team will work with the city to revitalize this iconic New York destination to make it a must-see attraction for locals and visitors from around the world." The attractions are expected to attract nearly nine million visitors over the next 10 years who will spend over $100 million. The total economic impact on the area could reach $200 million. The rides will create about 330 jobs by 2011, Bloomberg said. The city was only able to move forward with the plan after shelling out $95.6 million in November to developer Joe Sitt for nearly seven acres of prime boardwalk land, including the Astroland property. The new rides will be part of the city’s newly rezoned 27-acre entertainment and amusement district, which also includes the landmark Cyclone roller coaster and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. The district is part of a 45-acre Coney Island rezoning that is also set to bring more than 5,000 units of new housing. Upon completion of the 10-year lease, the city will select a developer to build a permanent amusement park. And while Bloomberg was excited over the anticipated arrival of the new rides, he isn’t looking to jump on any right away. "The ride that I have a desire to get on is the Nathan’s hot dog line," he joked. Luna Park will operate Memorial Day through at least Labor Day, from noon to midnight daily. There will be no entrance fee, and Pelle said tickets for individual rides won't be expensive. _____________ http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/b...AdoSG0T5mMna3K http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010...e--500x380.jpg http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010...e--500x380.jpg The “Scream Zone at Coney Island” will provide additional attractions - including two roller coasters, a human slingshot and go-kart rides. http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010...O--500x380.jpg “Coney Island remains one of the most known and beloved neighborhoods around the world, but for decades its famed amusement park has dwindled to just a tiny fraction of what it once was," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This summer, we're reversing the trend." http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010...y--500x380.jpg The new park is part of the city's Coney Island Revitalization Plan, which will preserve and grow the historic area as well as create jobs. http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010...r--500x380.jpg The park -- dubbed "Luna Park at Coney Island -- will feature 19 rides, including "Air Race," which will make its international debut by the summer of 2011. ____________________________________ http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...ew_rides_.html Coney Island will get two new amusement parks, 23 new rides BY Erin Durkin February 16th 2010 Coney Island is reaching into its storied past for its bright new future. With 19 rides, Luna Park - the name of the original amusement mecca until 1944 - will open Memorial Day, Mayor Bloomberg said Tuesday on the Boardwalk where Astroland once stood. "We will have rides that will flip you, turn you, launch you, drop you, splash you," said David Galst, operations manager for Central Amusement International, which will run the park along with Italian ride giant Zamperla. Highlights include: • The Air Race: It spins riders around a pole while flipping them head over heels in barrel rolls. • Surf's Up: Riders balance on a surfboard and ride a 90-foot wave. • The Tickler: Modeled after the original Luna Park's Tickler, cars rotate in circles as they speed over the coaster track's twists and turns. • Midi Discovery: A giant pendulum will swing riders 60 feet in the air. The park will have a grand entranceway festooned with crescent moons, just like the one that drew thousands of visitors for the first half of the 20th century before the park burned down in 1944. And there will be a second new park called Scream Zone next summer, with two new steel roller coasters - one with upside down loops - as well as go-karts and a human slingshot that will launch riders 200 feet in the air. "Coney Island is coming back big time," Bloomberg said, noting his favorite attraction will always be an old one. "The ride that really I have a desire to get on at Coney Island is the Nathan's hot dog line," the mayor said. The city ended a years-long impasse with developer Thor Equities in November and struck a $95.6 million deal to buy 6.9 acres of land for the new park, including the site of the former Astroland, which closed in 2008. Galst said his company may even try to reopen the iconic Astro Tower. "We're investigating how we can make it operational once again as a ride," he said. CAI and Zamperla will lease the space from the city for 10 years for $100,000 a year, spending another $30 million to build Luna Park and Scream Zone. After that, the city will look for a permanent developer to turn turn Coney into a year-round ride, entertainment and retail destination - in line with a massive development plan passed by the City Council last summer. |
http://www.nypost.com/p/new_beer_cel...8llQ3PnLrqQXWO
New beer celebrates Coney’s planned Luna Park February 17, 2010 By RICH CALDER Shmaltz Brewing Co., the makers of popular Coney Island Craft Lagers, announced yesterday that it is brewing up a new beer being named after a new amusement park heading to the seaside area. As Mayor Bloomberg was announcing plans for a new Luna Park heading to Coney lsland, the beer company was also revealing its summer release of their own new attraction: Coney Island Luna Lager. Luna Lager commemorates the launch of the new Luna Park 2010, and brings to life a delicious newcomer to their award-winning craft lager lineup for the community to enjoy this summer at America’s Playground,” said Shmaltz spokesperson Jesse P. Cutler. Luna Park, named after the once-famous Coney Island playground that closed in 1944, will offer an array of thrills from a kiddie coaster to the newly announced "Air Race" -- where riders soar and barrel roll around a control tower. Proceeds from Coney Island Craft Lagers continue to help nonprofit Coney Island USA. Coney Island Luna Lager will be available this summer throughout New York City in 22 oz. bottles and a very limited supply of kegs at specialty shops and select bars.[/quote] |
http://www.lvtsg.com/imho/2010/02/ex...n-summer-2010/
Quote:
|
I like how it's similar to the original entrance.
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5...aentrance2.jpg ebay |
^ Nice find. Looks like the new one will be a little smaller. But it will be interesting to see how soon they will get this up. A little more than 3 months until the opening. I expect there will be some activity soon. This is the beginning of a reversal in the trend that saw Coney Island's amusements slowly diminish over the years to almost nothing last year. It really will be a rebirth.
|
http://amusingthezillion.com/2010/02...-job-openings/
Coney Island’s Luna Park Launches Blog Site, Lists Job Openings http://amusingthezillion.files.wordp...pg?w=500&h=342 February 22, 2010 by Tricia Luna Park Coney Island’s new website and blog debuted last week on the same day as Mayor Bloomberg’s press conference at the Aquarium announcing the new park. Renderings of four of the park’s new rides, including a Mega Disk’O and a roller coaster, were released to the press. Sources said that Central Amusement International (CAI) will be releasing details of the ride line up little by little over the next 100 days—now 95 days and counting till opening day. CAI is ride manufacturer Zamperla’s subsidiary for park operations and also operates Victorian Gardens in Central Park. This is where some of the announcements will appear: Luna Park Coney Island NYC’s blog, which for the moment consists of an introductory post: Central Amusement International, LLC is excited to be chosen by the NYCEDC to be a part of the revitalization of Coney Island. Our dedicated team is working hard to bring you Luna Park this summer, a new amusement park filled with new thrill and family rides, opening in May on Memorial Day Weekend. We are thrilled in becoming the newest destination for Coney Island visitors and look forward to seeing you all at Luna Park this summer. Keep checking our blog for the latest Luna Park updates. Looking for a fun summer job? The Luna Park website already has job descriptions and downloadable applications. Job opportunities include ride and game operator, ticketseller, retail and logistics associate. The City’s press release about the new amusement park says “in its inaugural season Luna Park is projected to create 247 new jobs in Coney Island, increasing to 330 full and part time positions in 2011, with an emphasis on local hiring.” The new park will have 19 new rides for 2010 and is scheduled to open on May 29. The rest of Coney Island–the Cyclone Roller Coaster, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park (22 rides), McCullough’s Kiddie Park (12 rides), 12th Street Amusements (4 rides), Eldorado Bumper Cars and Arcade, Coney Island Sideshow, Coney Island Arcade and games, and other independently owned businesses–will open as usual for the season on Palm Sunday, which is March 28th. Hope to see you at both opening days! WEBSITE: http://www.lunaparknyc.com/ |
Casting a different light...
http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2010/...re-not-a-hoax/ It’s Real! Brighton Beach’s Jersey Shore Not A Hoax by Ned Berke on Feb 23rd, 2010 Quote:
|
The action should start this week...
http://www.ny1.com/7-brooklyn-news-c...ey-island-park NY1 Exclusive: Developer Describes Plans For New Coney Island Park By: Jeanine Ramirez 03/05/2010 Quote:
|
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/201...stroreboot.txt
Quote:
|
http://www.observer.com/2010/commerc...coney-constant
A Coney Constant http://www.observer.com/files/full/g...ty%20shark.jpg By Emily Geminder March 15, 2010 Quote:
|
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...%28NY+Local%29
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus returning to Coney Island after deal with landlord http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/20...num_circus.jpg BY Erin Durkin March 17th 2010 Quote:
|
Who does this Ferrari guy think he is stealing names and such with not so much as a shout out? Why I ought to tell ya...
In other news, I am pumped by how quick this is all transpiring. Hopefully admission will be reasonable, great date idea for the summer. |
This thread is very interesting. I am fascinated by the photos and lore of the Luna Park of old.
|
Quote:
http://www.nypost.com/p/cyclone_set_...u5kCx0etyc3dkK Cyclone set to roll again, but operator says Astroland return 'unlikely' March 17, 2010 By RICH CALDER Quote:
|
Update from the website...
http://lunaparknyc.blogspot.com/ Wednesday, March 3, 2010 We are in the door...literally!! Last week, Central Amusement International, received the keys to Luna Park. We are officially in the door, and so excited about it! Grounds are now clear, and construction will commence shortly. At only 78 days away from the grand opening on Memorial Day weekend we have been busy as bees, working hard to bring Coney Island its much anticipated Luna Park. As the warm summer days approach us, we are looking forward to thrilling our visitors with 19 new rides, interactive games, tasty concessions and live entertainment. Check out below what our entrance from Surf Ave will look like, as well as some of the rides, which we will bring to you this summer. Visitors will be able to enter Luna Park for FREE as no admission fee will be charged at the gate. To ride the attractions visitors can simply pay per attraction, or even more exciting yet, purchase an unlimited ride wristband to ride all rides unlimited. The unlimited ride wristband will be available on both weekdays and weekends. With the wristband visitors will be able to sample all the rides, and ride continuously without any limitations!! |
All times are GMT. The time now is 9:24 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.