SkyscraperPage Forum

SkyscraperPage Forum (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/index.php)
-   General Development (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=86)
-   -   NEW YORK | Coney Island Redevelopment (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87068)

NYguy Apr 8, 2009 11:48 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...e_place_o.html

Dreamland amusement park to take place of Astroland at Coney Island

BY Jotham Sederstrom
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Goodbye, Astroland, hello, Dreamland.

A new amusement park with more than two dozen rides is set to take the place of Astroland this summer, and it's borrowing the name of one of Coney Island oldest landmarks.

Dreamland Park, named after the legendary Coney Island spot that ruled the Boardwalk for seven years before burning down in 1911, will be open from May 15 through Labor Day. It will be located at the former site of Astroland, which shuttered last summer after 46 years.

"Basically, it's pretty spectacular," said Anthony Raffaele, who is operating the rides for developer Thor Equities, which bought the site for $30 million in 2006.

"People will be amazed. We'll have more rides than Astroland, and people will get new memories at Dreamland."

The park will include a scrambler, Ferris wheel, giant slide and bumper cars. There are no plans for the amusement park beyond this summer, however.

Raffaele, who operated attractions and rides under the Dreamland moniker a decade ago, said he was trying to reinvent the fabled park.

"I've always had a thing for Dreamland, and we're trying to regenerate the name," said Raffaele, who's trying to lease a roller coaster for the site if one is available for the entire summer.

Coney Island purists differed on using the name of the long lost park, which wowed visitors with brightly lit buildings and gondola rides.

"To throw some carnival rides in and call it Dreamland seems kind of a shame," said Coney Island historian Charles Denson.

Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun, a frequent Thor critic, applauded the plan.

"There's nobody alive who remembers going to Dreamland," Zigun said. "I think it will be fine," Zigun said.

Thor spokesman Loren Riegelhaupt said in addition to the rides, hundreds of vendors selling everything from jewelry to burritos will descend on Coney Island during a summer-long event he called the "Festival by the Sea."

Among those expected to set up shop under four tents on Stillwell Ave. are the popular Red Hook Vendors, a group of more than a dozen stands serving Latin American fare.

NYguy Apr 9, 2009 6:54 PM

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories...sser_levy.html

Marty loves this potato chip

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/assets/...itheater_z.jpg

By Gersh Kuntzman
April 9, 2009

Take a bite out of this potato chip, concert fans!

Here’s a first look at the updated design for Borough President Markowitz’s dream project, the Beep’s $64-million outdoor amphitheater in Coney Island’s Asser Levy Park.

The just-released design from Manhattan-based Grimshaw Architects, significantly refined since an earlier version was leaked in January, adds in some flourishes to make it more fitting with what the city hopes will be a revived amusement zone just to the west.

Markowitz has justified the capital expenditure by saying that the borough needs such a venue to steal some summertime concert business away from Jones Beach, making Brooklyn “a natural stop on the summer concert circuit for entertainers,” Markowitz told The Brooklyn Paper last year.

He hopes it will be open by 2011.

Neighbors, however, aren’t so sure. Earlier this year, residents of the quieter portion of the neighborhood said Markowitz’s dream concert hall would ruin one of the neighborhood’s only open spaces, which is on Surf Avenue near West Fifth Street, three blocks east of the Cyclone.

But according to BD, an architecture trade magazine that broke the story on Thursday morning, 3,000 seats out of the amphitheater’s 8,000 overall capacity, will be removed when not in use to allow for the space to be used as a park.

The magazine suggested that locals are already calling the project, “The Pringle,” because of its shape, but our reporting indicates that people prefer “The Potato Chip.”

Markowitz could not be reached in time for The Brooklyn Paper’s frenzied online deadline.

NYguy Apr 10, 2009 3:02 PM

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...FREE/904089992

Coney Island 'marketplace' unveiled
Developer Thor Equities wants to bring hundreds of food and crafts vendors in the summertime to beef up warm-weather rides and sideshows at former Astroland Park.


By Daniel Massey
April 8, 2009


While the battle between Thor Equities and the city over the future of Coney Island continues, the developer on Tuesday announced the second piece of a summer plan to make use of its 10 acres of empty land in the area.

A five-tent marketplace featuring hundreds of local artisans and food vendors will set up shop on Thor’s property, including Brooklyn-based designers who will sell original work inspired by Coney Island.

The popular food vendors from Red Hook Park—who serve up Latin American fare ranging from Salvadoran pupusas to Mexican huaraches—have also signed on to be part of the market’s culinary component, according to Thor president Joe Sitt.

Live entertainment will take place every Saturday and Sunday, including local musicians and deejays.

The announcement comes a week after Thor outlined plans to bring dozens of summertime rides and side shows to the former Astroland Park site this summer. It follows the release of details on a competing Bloomberg administration plan to construct a temporary amusement facility on land already controlled by the city.

The rides and marketplace will create a “Festival by the Sea” that the developer claims will create 800 seasonal vendor jobs and 200 additional positions.

“We have put together a comprehensive plan that will revitalize the area and entertain, thrill and delight the millions of visitors to Coney this summer,” Mr. Sitt said.

NYguy Apr 10, 2009 4:57 PM

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com...pload_id=11421

Quote:

The amphitheatre will be a seasonal venue capable of accommodating a variety of performance types and sizes. Given the requirement for extremely flexibility, Grimshaw’s design calls for a mix of permanent and flexible seating, 5,000 fixed and 3,000 movable, that can be easily reconfigured to the needs of each performance and wholly transformed into a park when the lawn seating area is not in use. The amphitheatre is capped with a 60,000 sq ft green roof in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid that gives the structure its stunning swoop like form while serving to lighten the roof’s weight and thus its cost. Completing the roof are hundreds of strobing stage lights.

The project will be competed in 2011.

http://static.worldarchitecturenews....er_walkway.jpg


http://static.worldarchitecturenews....ght_aerial.jpg

NYguy Apr 16, 2009 8:13 PM

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04162009...ash_164705.htm

CONEY GUY'S BIG $PLASH

April 16, 2009

Coney Island's biggest property owner is forking over $2.5 million to spruce up the area's rundown seaside district for the summer and bring it new rides and attractions.

Much-maligned developer Joe Sitt confirmed his massive outlay yesterday -- a far cry from the $75,000 he spent operating his land last summer, when city officials accused him of trying to ruin the area for his benefit.

Besides bringing temporary rides and sideshows to the former Astroland site and a flea market to Stillwell Avenue, the $2.5 million includes $250,000 for a promotional blitz to attract visitors.

It includes flooding buses, trains and subway stations with ads promoting Sitt's "Festival by the Sea," which starts May 15 along the boardwalk and runs through Labor Day, and the creation of a new website www.coneyfestivalbythesea.com, which kicks off Monday.


Only last September, Lynn Kelly, president of the city's Coney Island Development Corp., accused the developer of buying up prime boardwalk space and clearing out rides to try to push a proposed area rezoning that would allow him to build luxury condos. The condo plan is part of a $1.5 billion Vegas-style entertainment complex that Sitt has proposed for his 10.5 acres of property.

She also said Sitt's previous attempts to replace rides he's cleared out the past three summers with temporary amusements have been a huge flop -- including a much-maligned "inflatable" water slide he set up on Stillwell Avenue last summer -- suggesting he was privately happy over the failure.

The mayor does not share Sitt's longterm vision for Coney Island, and the administration is trying to work out a deal to buy Sitt's land in order to smoothly move forward with a proposed 47-acre area rezoning that includes a new 27-acre amusement and entertainment district.

Sitt, who has denied Kelly's allegations, said through his spokesman yesterday that the difference this season is he's "taking a more direct role in the operations of" his Coney Island property.

"By directly handling many components of our entertainment program, we are confident that Coney Island residents and tourists alike will enjoy great rides, great food, and a great time in the summer of 2009," said Sitt spokesman Stefan Friedman.

NYguy Apr 17, 2009 6:55 PM

http://nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/me...&rc=1194&ndi=1

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM AND BAILEY CIRCUS IS COMING TO CONEY ISLAND AS PART OF 2009 SUMMER SEASON


"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Kenneth Feld today announced that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will bring a special installation of The Greatest Show On Earth – “The Coney Island Boom-A-Ring!” – to Coney Island this summer. The circus will be part of an array of both new programs and existing iconic attractions that will be open to residents and visitors of Coney Island this summer. Mayor Bloomberg visited Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs on Surf Avenue in Coney Island to kick off the 2009 summer season.

“For the first time in its 139-year history, The Greatest Show On Earth will make its way to one of the greatest neighborhoods in New York City – Coney Island,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Joining the mermaids, Cyclones and beachgoers this summer will be Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and acrobats from around the world for what will be a fantastic season for kids and families. Together with community partners, the City is taking steps to expand and make permanent Coney Island’s famous amusement district, and, like summers past, this one will showcase why Coney Island is such a one-of-a-kind asset for New York City. Together with a host of attractions, the circus offers yet one more reason to visit a neighborhood that offers exciting events, great food and 2.3 miles of boardwalk enjoyment for New Yorkers and visitors.”

“With the circus coming to town, Coney Island is poised for a fantastic summer season,” said Deputy Mayor Lieber. “Coney Island is one of the world’s most recognized neighborhoods, and we’re committed to preserving its storied character and revitalizing the entire area. Our plan will create a permanent and enhanced 27-acre amusement and entertainment district, 4,500 new housing units and more than 6,000 permanent jobs and 25,000 construction jobs. And as we pursue it, we will continue to take steps to ensure that the Coney Island’s vibrancy continues to thrive. I want to thank Feld Entertainment, Taconic Investment Partners and NYC & Company for their enormous contribution to Coney Island.”

“We know that Coney Island – with its storied rides, bustling boardwalk and beach, delicious food, and genuinely unique sense of freakishness and fun – has the creative energy of a three-ring-circus every single day,” said Borough President Markowitz. “I thank the Mayor for his commitment to Coney, and commend all the partners who have come together to bring The Greatest Show On Earth to America's Favorite Playground. This summer the circus is indeed in town, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey 'The Coney Island Boom-A-Ring' will be a thrilling must-see for fun-seekers and families of New York City and beyond.”

“I am truly excited that the Bloomberg Administration is working with the community to bring great things to Coney Island this summer,” said Council Member Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. “We are thrilled about the circus coming to town and look forward to working collaboratively on the redevelopment of Coney Island. This proves that together we can accomplish great things.”

“The Coney Island Boom-A-Ring” presented by Ringling Bros. will open on June 18, 2009, with a special performance saluting Coney Island. The show will include Vincenta Pages and her seven white Bengal tigers; the Urias family, known as The First Family of the Motorcycle Globe; the New York debut of The Negrey Troupe, a world-renowned retinue of Russian acrobats; “Eccentric Personality Extraordinaire” Justin Case; and a trio of Asian elephants. The show will run on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from June 18th through September 7th. Tickets, which start at $10, go on sale Thursday, April 30th. Additional information is available at www.ringling.com.

“The Greatest Show On Earth and Coney Island are American entertainment icons,” said Kenneth Feld, Ringling Bros. Producer and Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, Inc. "New York City plays a big role in our circus history and we are thrilled to be a part of this incredible summer for Brooklynites and New Yorkers. Our international community of performers is looking forward to entertaining the international community of Brooklyn families and bringing smiles to the faces of Children of All Ages.”

The circus tent will be located on Surf Ave and West 21st Street on property owned by Taconic Investment Partners. To bring the circus to Coney Island, NYC & Company, New York City Economic Development Corporation and Feld Entertainment, which produces Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, teamed with Taconic to secure a location for the circus. Taconic is providing its land at no cost. NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 60 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

“Attracting New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to Coney Island is a top priority this summer,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Working with our public and private partners, we’ve created a season of events that offer something for everyone at an incredible value. There is no better time to go to Coney Island, and we invite everyone to come and experience one of New York City’s great gems.”

In addition to The Greatest Show On Earth, there will be a variety of events taking place at Coney Island throughout the summer, including the AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour July 3 to July 5, Friday Night fireworks every Friday night at 9:30PM from June 19 to September 4, Seaside Summer Concert Series Thursday nights in Asser Levy Park, the Village Voice Siren Music Festival and a variety of other events created in partnership with the Parks Department and Coney Island businesses that are free and open to the public.

The Coney Island Development Corporation is also re-launching its website, www.ConeyIslandFunGuide.com, which provides residents and visitors with a complete overview of what to see and do in Coney Island, including a full up-to-the-minute calendar of events and programming, as well as details on how to get there. Visit the website or call 311 for a list of event highlights.

NYguy Apr 18, 2009 11:28 AM

Eminent Domain on the horizon...
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/..._for_mike.html

Mayor Bloomberg make final bid for Coney Island property

BY Jotham Sederstrom
April 18th 2009

Mayor Bloomberg has made his final offer.

Talks to buy coveted property standing in the way of a city plan to redevelop Coney Island have come to a halt.

"The bottom line is we can only pay so much - that's it," Bloomberg said, referring to an offer of $105 million for 10.5 acres of property that developer Thor Equities owns. "The city does not have unlimited money."

The offer is significantly less than the $250 million Thor officials floated in November for the property - and $5 million under the city's last offer, officials said.

Thor Equities acquired its Coney property over the past five years for a total of $93 million, officials have said.

Bloomberg, who paid $1.8 million for Coney's historic B&B Carousell in 2005, said the crumbling economy won't allow the city to spend more for the property, which would hold an amusement park and other attractions.

"We don't have enough classrooms; we don't have enough clinics; we don't have enough infrastructure things," Bloomberg said yesterday. "Government is about making choices and setting priorities, and this is our priority."

A Thor spokesman declined to comment on the year-long negotiations with the city.

NYguy Apr 20, 2009 10:09 PM

The "festival by the sea" website is up...
http://www.coneyfestivalbythesea.com/

The marketplace won't open until May 15 though. Construction shot posted on curbed.com

http://curbed.com/uploads/2009_4_coneytent.jpg

NYguy Apr 30, 2009 12:45 PM

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04302009...is__166861.htm

TRAPEZEY DOES IT AT CONEY IS.

April 30, 2009

Looking to keep Coney Island alive this summer, the city is seeking bidders for a "beach adventure concession" just west of Steeplechase Pier across from KeySpan Park.

Parks Department officials hope someone will go into business offering inflatable equipment and rides, trampolines, climbing walls, rope courses and trapeze apparatuses.

The city isn't saying how large the operation could be -- although, because it will be on the beach, it won't include any permanent buildings.

"The less infrastructure, the better," said Julius Spiegel, commissioner for Brooklyn parks.

Besides offering beach sports equipment, the winning bidder will also be allowed to rent items such as beach chairs and body and windsurfing boards. They'll also be able to sell hot dogs, soda and snacks from pushcarts.

Meanwhile, Borough President Marty Markowitz yesterday agreed to back Mayor Bloomberg's Coney Island rezoning plan, but without the controversial amendments proposed by Community Board 13, such as quadrupling the retail space allowed within the amusement district.

NYguy May 15, 2009 11:41 AM

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05152009...one_169436.htm

ANOTHER WHIRL: NEW COASTER EYED FOR CONEY

By RICH CALDER
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 shore front anything but a pipe dream.

A city-appointed panel of industry experts yesterday released recommendations for officials tasked with soliciting proposals for a 27-acre boardwalk amusement and entertainment district. Besides a new roller coaster with a drop tower, recommendations for the boardwalk include water rides, a House of Horror or Tunnel of Love-like indoor ride, and rides suitable for kids.

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


Workers, meanwhile, set up some of the 25 traveling carnival rides that will be part of Dreamland Amusement Park, a temporary fix by developer Joe Sitt until the city builds its new park.

NYguy May 28, 2009 4:31 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/ny...l?ref=nyregion

At Circus Job Fair, No Thrill Seekers Needed

By A. G. SULZBERGER
May 27, 2009

A job fair for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus may conjure visions of strapping gymnasts in spandex, carnival barkers and more clowns than you can fit in a small car. But the 150 positions being offered at KeySpan Park in Coney Island on Wednesday were for far less fanciful jobs.

Ringling Brothers is preparing for its first extended show — the Coney Island Boom-a-Ring! — in a Brooklyn neighborhood best known as a seaside amusement attraction. But Coney Island is also a historically poor area with a high unemployment rate.

In a light drizzle, more than 500 people, many from the surrounding housing projects, waited for hours for an interview. They crossed their fingers for the chance at less than three months’ work as ticket takers, ushers and custodians, starting at minimum wage.

“I thought there would be more people,” said Rafael Fernandez, 35, who lives nearby. “Coney Island is hurting a lot. I know a lot of people looking for work right now.”

Pam Harris, the executive director of Coney Island Generation Gap, a youth-focused nonprofit group, sent volunteers into the community to knock on doors and pass out fliers advising residents of the circus job opportunities.

“The economic downturn here has hit us really hard,” she said.

The group that showed up was a mix of college graduates, high school students, recently laid-off professionals and many who have been looking for work longer than they cared to admit. Most said they were ready to sign up for any employment, even if it was temporary. The circus, which will feature 12 shows a week, runs from June 18 through Sept. 7.

“I apply everywhere,” said Sean Jones, 34, who had traveled for several hours to apply. “They say ‘we’re not hiring,’ or ‘come back in a couple of months,’ or I put the application in and never hear from them again.”

“A lot of jobs don’t hire teens,” said Catherine Clark, 16, cradling her son, Paris. “But I’m not like everybody else. I’m mature, plus I have a child. I need a job.”

Lynn B. Kelly, president of the Coney Island Development Corporation, which is leading the redevelopment of much of the area and helped organize the event, said that turnout at the job fair had exceeded expectations.

“It may be a function of the market,” Ms. Kelly said. “Or it may be that, how often in life do you get a chance to say you’ve worked at the circus?”

NYguy May 28, 2009 4:43 AM

Renderings of the city's idea of a redeveloped Coney Island:

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/113066182/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/113066185/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/113066389/original.jpg

NYguy Jun 2, 2009 12:23 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...ll_be_qui.html

Planners try to hush critics on Coney concert arena noise

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/20..._levy-park.jpg

BY Elizabeth Hays
May 31st 2009

A $64 million concert hall planned for a Coney Island park will actually be quieter for nearby neighbors than the small existing bandshell, planners told the Daily News.

"The same concert turned to the same volume won't sound as loud," said Mark Husser, an architect at Grimshaw, the international firm drawing up plans for the proposed Coney Island Center inside Asser Levy Park.

Husser said the proposed amphitheater - championed by Borough President Marty Markowitz - will feature state-of-the-art sound equipment and design that focuses the sound toward the audience, not nearby homes.

Concerts at the existing bandshell, where Markowitz has hosted free outdoor concerts since 1991, use older equipment that "blasts out in all directions," said Husser.

Markowitz is working to head off criticism of the project in the surrounding area - and appeared to be taking the local outcry personally.

"Our first responsibility is to the residents in that neighborhood," said Markowitz, who is paying for most of the project out of his budget.

The borough president said he was "surprised" and "hurt" by local critics who have charged the arena is too big and loud and will overwhelm the sleepy neighborhood park.

"It's hurtful because I don't deserve it," said Markowitz. "I've entertained the people in that neighborhood since 1991. I've put a smile on their face for 31 years. Why would I want them to frown?"

A pair of synagogues across Sea Breeze Ave. from the park also charge it will disrupt religious services, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

They have vowed to use a little-known law that bans amplified sound within 500 feet of religious institutions while services are in session to block the project.

Markowitz accused critics of spreading distortions about the project to fuel the opposition.

"People believe we're taking away the park. We're not - we're going to make an unbelievable park," he added, promising, "We're not going to have concerts every night," as many locals fear.

Markowitz's planners said the amphitheater is modeled after the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, known for its free outdoor concerts - and not a money-making venue such as the one at Jones Beach.

Markowitz envisions a mix of free and paid shows at the venue, which will be operated by the Parks Department.

Construction on the project, slated to begin this fall and be completed by summer 2012, also includes major work to deal with chronic flooding throughout the park and a brand-new Coney Island-themed playground for kids.

The amphitheater itself - which is designed to invoke the flight of the Parachute Jump - will include 5,000 fixed seats and a grassy lawn that can hold up to 3,000 more people.


Planners said there will be another open lawn area to the east of the amphitheater, and the refurbished park will include as many benches and even more walkways than it now has. In the off-season, the amphitheater's fixed seats can be removed to make way for an ice skating rink or skateboard park, they added.

But local critics said the plan was still too much for the park. "We don't need this. We have benches and walkways now," said Ida Sanoff, who has been leading the opposition.

"It's going to be like a spaceship plunked down in the middle of a park across from people's bedrooms."

NYguy Jun 18, 2009 1:18 AM

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runnin...ing_commis.php

Planning Commission Approves Unloved Coney Plan

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runnin.../coneywalk.jpg

By Roy Edroso in Coney
Jun. 17 2009

The Coney Island redevelopment plan has been approved unanimously by the city's planning commission. Amanda Burden, chairman of the commission, says it will bring "4,500 units of housing and 900 affordable units" to Coney and "preserve, in perpetuity, the open amusement area rides that everyone knows and loves." Critics say, not so much. Activist group New York Jobs With Justice, whose attendees at the vote marched out and chanted in protest, complains in a statement that the 20 percent affordable-housing component is unreasonably low, and that the promised job plan "does not include any guarantees that these jobs will provide prevailing and living wages and benefits."

As for the amusement sector, Coney advocates have long protested that the plan is short on rides and long on ugly, disruptive development. On the other hand, Bloomberg and developers like it fine, and proponents managed to muscle a related rezoning plan through the community board, so the new Coney is probably unstoppable.

NYguy Jun 18, 2009 1:24 AM

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor..._id=5&id=28937

Planning Commission Votes 12-0 for Coney Island Plan With Modifications

by Linda Collins
6-17-2009


CONEY ISLAND — Despite a rather loud disruption from protesters at yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting, Chair Amanda Burden led what was a unanimous vote for the Coney Island Redevelopment Plan. (One newly-appointed commissioner abstained.)

Calling it “a major milestone” in the Bloomberg Administration’s goals for Coney Island and the result of hundreds of meetings with local residents, businesses, property owners, elected officials and amusement industry professionals, Burden said the plan will “revitalize and help Coney Island reclaim its mantle as the world’s greatest open, affordable and accessible, urban amusement park.”

With some modifications, the plan includes a a 27-acre amusement and entertainment district, with a 12-acre urban amusement park at its center, and a mapping of the core amusement area as parkland, “to forever ensure that Coney Island’s amusements are protected,” Burden said.

It also includes the possibility of 4,500 new units of housing, including affordable housing, space for much needed neighborhood retail and service providers, and it will result in 6,000 permanent and 20,000 construction jobs.

Most of the commissioners, as they declared their vote, praised the plan for bringing new jobs and new housing to Coney Island, as well as its affordable and accessible permanent entertainment area. Many applauded Burden for her hard work.


As one commissioner commented, ”Affordable housing is a key here and the jobs generated from it are significant.”

Another said, “Coney Island coming back is very pleasing to me and I’m happy to vote for it.”

The demonstrators, however, who were loudly chanting “Coney Needs Good Jobs, Affordable Housing” over and over, holding signs saying as much, and disrupting the meeting for a good five minutes, said the plan doesn’t go far enough.

It doesn’t go far enough in providing affordable housing or offering guarantees of job protections, they said. Currently, the city is only committing to its voluntary 20 percent inclusionary zoning to create affordable housing, according to Carmen Gonzalez, one of the protesters and an ACORN member.

“Redeveloping Coney Island without including a significant amount of affordable housing would leave low- to middle-income New Yorkers with fewer housing choices and put current residents at risk of losing their homes,” she said. “As residents of Coney Island, we want our children to be able to afford to live here in the future. Any redevelopment must include a significant portion of affordable housing.”

As for the jobs issue, Coney Island resident and SEIU 32BJ member George Diaz commented that the plan does not guaranteed prevailing and living wage benefits nor any guarantee to help local residents secure these positions.

“We need the city’s plan to create real opportunity in the neighborhood,” he said. Having people lining up down the street for minimum wage jobs is not a solid plan, but that’s what could happen if we don’t have job standards attached to the city’s plan.”

Modifications

Since the City Planning Commission’s public hearing in May, the department has recommended additional modifications. These include increasing the amusement requirements in Coney East, adding floodplain mitigation measures to enhance the streetscape, refining the text to encourage extraordinary design and integrating Coney’s historic icons in the future development.

Previously approved in April, were “A text” revisions meant to strengthen the ground-floor requirements for traditional amusement uses — such as arcades, games of chance and rides — to maintain Coney’s one-of-a-kind amusement character; and others to ensure direct visibility to the amusement park and boardwalk upon arrival in Coney Island — such as reduced height limits for building streetwalls along Surf Avenue.

“With the modifications I have described, I am especially proud to vote yes,” Burden said.

The next and final step in the approval process for the Coney Island Plan is a hearing before the City Council. No date has been set for that hearing.

NYguy Jun 18, 2009 3:09 PM

The final days of Joe Sitt...
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories...oney_main.html

Sitt on this! Joe says Bloomy’s Coney rezoney is baloney

By Mike McLaughlin
June 18, 2009

Coney Island’s would-be savior, Joe Sitt, broke a two-year silence to skewer the city’s controversial Coney Island redevelopment plan, just as Mayor Bloomberg’s rezoning proposal got a rubber stamp from the City Planning Commission on Wednesday.

The planning body approved the mayor’s plan to rezone much of the faded “People’s Playground” in hopes of stimulating the construction of a glitzy amusement park and 4,500 apartments. The total cost of the project is unknown, but land acquisition and infrastructure alone will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions — an investment the city says is necessary to rehabilitate one of the poorer residential communities in the city.

But Sitt, who owns 10-1/2 acres of land that the mayor needs, says his version of an all-year Xanadu of rides, hotels and shopping is better and could actually be built.

“The whole concept of the government taking over the site and building it … and then dealing with the state is mind-boggling,” Sitt told The Brooklyn Paper.

But city officials took a slap right back at the would-be developer, whose land once housed the Astroland theme park, which closed last year.

“At this critical juncture, with the amusements shrinking and the peninsula strewn with vacant lots our vote today advances our only opportunity to help Coney Island reclaim its mantle as the world’s greatest open, affordable and accessible, urban amusement park,” City Planning Commission Chairwoman Amanda Burden said on Wednesday.

The commission’s unanimous approval of the plan was a mere formality, as its support was widely expected, but the session turned raucous with protestors interrupting the voting to demand more below-market housing than the 900 units currently promised.

Now, Bloomberg’s legacy project heads for a final debate to the City Council, where its fate is uncertain.

The main sticking point is Sitt, who has rejected previous propositions to swap his real-estate portfolio, which includes the former Astroland site and many of the arcade businesses along the Boardwalk and Surf Avenue.

Skeptics believe that Sitt is simply holding out for price higher than the $105 million last offered by the city, but the Gravesend native said this week that he remains committed to resurrecting the birthplace of honky-tonk fun with his own midway magnum opus.

“Our intent was always to develop,” Sitt said, perched in the Manhattan headquarters of his company, Thor Equities, as he displayed plans for a colorful patchwork of rides, hotels and retail. “Coney Island was left for dead before we got involved.”

Sitt and his team also attacked aspects of the mayor’s plan, saying that mandates for parking could lead to visitors having to park too far from the amusement area, roughly bounded by Surf Avenue, Stillwell Avenue, the Boardwalk and West 10th Street. Sitt also said that retail stores in that quarter should be bigger and faulted the city for proposing a street grid that would “bifurcate” the amusement area, including running a street through the existing Deno’s Wonder Wheel park.

Sitt might not be able to do anything but complain. The Bloomberg Administration has repeatedly said it doesn’t believe he’s qualified to create and operate a world-class theme park.

Sitt has an ally in Councilman Domenic Recchia (D–Coney Island), but unless he can stop the mayor’s rezoning steamroller, his vision will likely be buried alongside the vanquished dreams of previous Coney Island wannabes like Fred Trump and Kansas Fried Chicken magnate Horace Bullard.

Bloomberg has run into other obstacles, too. His plan requires state legislation to map the proposed amusement area as parkland, an alleged protection against future redevelopment proposals. But no one in Albany has been willing to sponsor the bill, at least not before the mayor and Sitt come to terms.

Aleks Jun 19, 2009 9:42 PM

Woah! Those renderings are sick!

NYguy Jun 19, 2009 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleks (Post 4316076)
Woah! Those renderings are sick!

That's the city's idea of how it wishes to proceed, with half of the amusements being indoor attractions. That will enable Coney Island to become a year 'round destination.

NYguy Jul 4, 2009 10:43 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain..._brooklyn.html

Neverland's coaster: Dragon Wagon Kiddie now resides in Coney Island

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/20...agon-wagon.jpg
Jayden Richardson on a Ride named Dragon Wagon in Dreamland amusement park in Coney Island.



BY Jeff Wilkins
Saturday, July 4th 2009

A big piece of Michael Jackson history is now in Coney Island.

The Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster at Coney Island's Dreamland Park was part of Jackson's private amusement park at Neverland Ranch before quietly arriving in Brooklyn.

"We got really lucky landing this one," said Dreamland's president, Anthony Raffaele.

The kid-sized coaster features a grinning dragon that loops behind a gray castle adorned with gargoyles resembling dancers from Jacko's "Thriller" video.

Its journey began last April when Dreamland, on the former site of Astroland, struggled to find enough rides to fill the park for its inaugural season.

"To get spectacular rides, the right quality rides, was proving difficult," said John Strong, who owns Dreamland's freak show.

Strong, 50, asked his friend and former boss Earl "Butch" Butler, CEO of California-based Butler Amusements, to lend a hand.

Butler agreed to send four rides to Dreamland including the Dragon Wagon coaster he bought at an auction at Neverland last September.

"It was quite the experience," Butler said of the auction, held to pay off some of the pop star's debts. "He had so much stuff on his ranch. Everything was made with such care and detail."

Now that a part of Jackson's legacy is in place in Brooklyn, New Yorkers couldn't be happier.

"It's amazing this was actually at his house," said Bronx native Vivian Lopez as her son Jaden, 7, and daughter Tatyannah, 5, went for a spin on the coaster.

Dreamland will play Jackson's music and attach his photos to the ride this holiday weekend in tribute to the late star.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/20...agon-wagon.jpg
Tatyannah Lopez and her brother Jaden Lopez on ride that used to be at Michael Jackson's home Neverland.

NYguy Jul 10, 2009 1:25 PM

http://amusingthezillion.com/2009/07...-sale-on-ebay/

Coney Island Wish List: Michael Jackson’s Bumper Car Ride for Sale on eBay

http://amusingthezillion.files.wordp...g?w=300&h=225?
The ride includes a 20 foot long Neverland sign and fencing with Michael Jackson's logo


July 8, 2009 by Tricia

Quote:

Michael Jackson’s Dragon Wagon Kiddie Coaster was brought to Coney Island for the summer by Butler Amusements, but now there’s an opportunity to acquire a Neverland ride on a permanent basis. Last week carnival owner Earl “Butch” Butler told ATZ of his plans to put the bumper cars designed for and by Michael Jackson up for sale on eBay. The one-of-a-kind ride has been on our watch and wish list for the past few days. Butler says the auction has hundreds of watchers and generated inquiries from all over the world, including a bidder who wants to recreate Jackson’s amusement park.

The popular interest in the Neverland rides since Jackson’s death is what got us dreaming about putting together a consortium of people to buy Jackson’s bumper cars for the People’s Playground. Where’d we put it? How about Steeplechase Plaza, where the City has plans to build a skateboard park? We think an amusement ride, especially one designed for and by the King of Pop, is a much better idea. It could be a gold mine for Coney Island. The celebrity ride would draw tourists to the amusement park. Its neighbors would be the iconic Parachute Jump and the restored B & B Carousell. Or maybe the ride could be situated on Joe Sitt’s property. After Sitt sells to the City, of course. His Stillwell lot, which is zoned for amusements, is currently being misused as a flea market. And we couldn’t afford Thor Equities skyhigh rent in the so-called Dreamland Park.

In fact, the bidding on the Neverland bumper cars –$46,100, Reserve Not Met– has climbed beyond our consortium’s budget. What is the reserve? Butler’s not saying. When I asked him today if it’s $1 million dollars, he said no. Perhaps it’s a dollar less or quite a bit more! We’re secretly dreaming Mayor Bloomberg will set a snipe and win the auction for the people of New York. Don’t worry, Mayor Mike: The user ID is kept private. Nobody will know you are the buyer except the seller. You can donate the ride to the City of New York, just as you did with the B & B Carousell. The auction ends on July 10 at 12:34:29 PDT.


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:54 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.