View Single Post
  #79  
Old Posted Jul 26, 2007, 11:44 AM
NYguy's Avatar
NYguy NYguy is offline
New Yorker for life
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Borough of Jersey
Posts: 51,747
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07262007...ich_calder.htm

CONEY I. 'FERRY'
PIER PLAN HARKS BACK TO GLORY DAYS OF 1911


By RICH CALDER
July 26, 2007

Get set for a Coney Island flashback.

Before burning down in 1911, Coney Island's Dreamland Park featured a grand iron pier with spectacular amusements, restaurants, a dance hall and ferry access.

City officials will commission a study this fall on bringing ferry service back to the world-famous amusement district by building a new destination pier.


The site is the beachfront off West Eighth Street - near the New York Aquarium - where the old Dreamland pier once stood.

"I think a pier is an amazing idea," said Dick Zigun, a member of the city's Coney Island Development Corp. and founder of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.

"Ferry service would not only help alleviate traffic congestion but would become a cool attraction for new visitors and make traveling here as unique as Coney Island itself."

The city's Economic Development Corp., which is overseeing the study, said its current plan is to study the feasibility of building a pier offering ferry service only.

But Zigun and many other local leaders say the city should think bigger and consider making any new pier include amusements, too - like the Santa Monica Pier in California and Chicago's Steel Pier.

"I'm glad they're going ahead with the study, but eventually I think they'll realize that creating an amusement pier makes more sense," said Gene Ritter, a Community Board 13 member.

It was Ritter, a commercial diver, who started the push for a new pier 17 years ago after uncovering sand pilings from Dreamland's pier and hundreds of artifacts from the park itself while searching the ocean floor off the Coney Island shoreline.

The study will be paid for with $3.2 million in federal transportation funding secured by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn).

Tom Fox, president of New York Water Taxi, said the success of Coney Island ferry service will depend on whether the city and developers can turn Coney into a year-round attraction.

He said Long Island, New Jersey, Staten Island, Queens, The Bronx and certain parts of Brooklyn's waterfront with poor mass transit - such as Williamsburg - could serve as good locations to provide service to and from Coney Island.

Joe Sitt, the developer planning a Vegas-style, $1.5 billion entertainment complex for the center of the amusement district, said he strongly supports bringing ferry service back to Coney Island.
__________________
NEW YORK is Back!

“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
Reply With Quote