NEW YORK | Coney Island Redevelopment

[Roadcruiser1]

I wonder why they didn't name Scream Zone Steeplechase instead. It has the same idea in mind to attract teenagers.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

I wonder why they didn't name Scream Zone Steeplechase instead. It has the same idea in mind to attract teenagers.

Well, its a few months behind schedule, but the City is building the Steeplechase Plaza on part of the site of the original Steeplehase. Work is supposed to start within a few months on this site, which will also include a new home for the restored B&B Carousel (shown below in earlier incarnation on Surf Ave).

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categor...id=27&id=40784
Bloomberg Boosts Brooklyn in His ‘State of the City’

by Brooklyn Eagle
01-19-2011

STATEN ISLAND — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s State of the City speech, delivered Wednesday at the St. George Theatre here, was replete with references to developments in Brooklyn as examples of economic recovery.

“We’ll see the transformation at the old piers that are now becoming Brooklyn Bridge Park, where a new carousel [Jane’s Carousel] will open this year,” said the mayor.

“At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which we’ve transformed into one of the country’s most successful, and greenest, urban industrial parks, Steiner Studios will begin to double what are already the largest soundstage and production facilities on the East Coast. And they’ll partner with Brooklyn College to create the first graduate-level film school of its kind in the region.”

He also addressed developments at Coney Island — “once a sad shadow of yesteryear, and long written off by skeptics, but now drawing record crowds with new amusements and new excitement.”

On the subject of Coney Island, he said, “This year, we will break ground on Steeplechase Plaza, and we’ll open the new ‘Scream Zone’ a one-of-kind amusement area that will include a ‘Human Slingshot.’”

He then ad-libbed, since the reference can’t be found in the published version of his speech, that Borough President Marty Markowitz would be the new thrill ride’s first customer. The Borough President’s Office did not return calls, and indeed, this might have been the first time Markowitz heard about it.

asterisktom

[Roadcruiser1]

Coney Island's Oldest Building Avoids the Wrecking Ball
By Sara Polsky

Coney Island's Grashorn Building won't be joining Shoot the Freak in the amusement park attraction afterlife. There was never a demolition permit for the 1104 Surf Avenue building, Coney's oldest with a construction date in the 1880s. But with permits out to tear down the Bank of Coney Island, the Shore Hotel, and the Henderson Music Hall, the building's fate did not look bright. So what saved it? Amusing the Zillion points out that unlike its demolished fellows, the Grashorn lot was never rezoned for a 30-story hotel, and hey, anything's better than a vacant lot right near the entrance to Luna Park. The Grashorn Building is now up for lease, so maybe it's time to look back at those restoration renderings?

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/0...cking_ball.php

[NYguy]

This one was no surprise...


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/b...rQqH1v69AJR0SI
Coney's Luna riding Cyclone

By RICH CALDER
January 22, 2011

Luna Park's Italy-based operators will run the Coney Island Cyclone this summer, officials said yesterday.

The city will hand Zamperla USA control of the 84-year-old landmark for a year and then solicit public bids before dishing out a long-term contract.

Zamperla said it would add two smaller roller coasters to the boardwalk and make repairs to the Cyclone before its grand reopening in April.

ny1

• Video Link


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http://amusingthezillion.com/2011/01...-coney-island/
Sodexo Investing $2.4M in Zamperla’s Coney Island


Under Construction: Sodexo Restaurant on Surf at 10th St, Coney Island. December 23, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy


Rendering of Luna Park's Main Gate Shows Luna Park Cafe on the Left Side


January 20, 2011 by Tricia

The French multinational Sodexo is investing $2.4 million in Zamperla’s Coney Island and has an exclusive contract to manage the food and facilities for the City’s amusement operator, sources told ATZ.

Sodexo has been Zamperla’s partner for “On Site Service Solutions” since Luna Park opened last May, though the partnership was not announced by the City and was known only within Coney Island until ATZ first reported it in November.

This season, Sodexo will operate food and beverage kiosks in the new Scream Zone in addition to Luna Park. The corporation, which is the 22nd largest in the world, also plans to open up their own restaurants at Paul’s Daughter’s Boardwalk location and the former Gregory & Paul’s on Surf Avenue across from the Cyclone.

ATZ obtained a copy of Zamperla/CAI’s proposal to the City which describes the Surf Avenue restaurant. The decor sounds a bit like Ruby’s and the Coney Island History Project: “The Luna Park Café pays tribute to the long history of Coney Island with memorabilia and tributes from local residents and visitors from around the world. This unique environment provides the backdrop for quick service prepared-to-order meals. The menu will be designed to provide a more balanced meal option for visitors looking for a complete meal and will be a venue where ‘healthier’ alternatives can be found. Potentially a year round venue, the Luna Park Café will also serve as the primary point of food service for all team members where an employee discount will be available.”

The proposal goes on to say that more extreme foods will be featured inside Scream Zone. “With thrill rides comes thrilling food and beverages which will use elements of spice, exotic-flavors, irregular sizes, and ‘u-decide’ the ingredient items where guests can challenge their imaginations. A kiosk-type portable network, as previously described, will be looked upon to enter this phase of the operation. A heavy emphasis will be placed on the design of each location to assimilate into easy accessibility from each attraction. This service plan provides the flexibility needed to keep Scream Zone evolving. A final count of locations has not been determined at this time but a similar strategy as used for Luna Park Phase I will be applied.”

In regard to the Boardwalk concessions in 2011, Zamperla’s proposal says they “will be combined and integrated into the food and beverage operations of Luna Park and Scream Zone. This is an important step in the presentation of Luna Park and Scream Zone from their beach points of entry. Structures would be improved and remodeled to mesh with the aesthetics of the respective parks. To be successful within the food and beverage part of the operation, this plan will constantly be reviewed and modifications made annually. New product development will always be looked upon, as well as the demands of the guests as ways to improve.”

With just 88 days till the opening of Coney Island for the season on Palm Sunday –April 17, 2011– Zamperla’s Central Amusement International is locked in an ugly eviction battle with the Coney Island 8. The veteran Mom & Pops, including Ruby’s Bar and Paul’s Daughter, which have been Boardwalk favorites for decades, hope to remain. The Coney Island 8’s website claims, “Inside information suggests that Sodexo did not want to deal with The Coney Island 8 and therefore would not accept the contract with Zamperla without full control over all the food establishments.”

Sources familiar with Zamperla’s situation don’t expect the amusement operator to agree to any settlement that would allow the Coney Island 8 to remain on the Boardwalk since plans to make over the Boardwalk are well underway. Zamperla and Sodexo are said to be bringing in new businesses which have submitted letters of intent and now have leases in hand. Some of the newcomers have already gone in and measured the spaces or received the architect’s plans. Insiders characterize the Boardwalk makeover as a done deal. The next court date is February 16, just 60 days before Coney Island’s opening day. But it’s possible a settlement will be reached before then. A settlement would at least compensate the Coney Island 8 for the costs of those very unnecessary “business plans” and help them relocate in Coney or elsewhere.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/brookl...2QJLq89Bzm3SJN
Zamperla breaks ground on new Coney Island coaster, another to follow

January 31, 2011
By RICH CALDER

Coney Island is ready for some wild rides.

The former roller coaster capitol of the world now only has the rickety landmark Cyclone, but it’s getting two new coasters in time for the summer season.

Zamperla USA, the operator of Luna Park, broke ground last week on the Soaring Eagle – the seaside amusement district’s first major roller coaster since the Cyclone went up in 1927. At that time, Coney Island had 10 coasters

The Soaring Eagle will be a 66-foot-high ride that offers thrill-seekers strapped in a horizontal position the sensation of flight as they speed through a series of turns, drops and an upside-down inversion.

And later this month, Zamperla will start building the 65-foot-high Steeplechase Coaster, which will launch riders seated in horse-shaped cars modeled after those of Coney Island’s original Steeplechase ride on a twisting, turning race.

Both coasters will be part of Zamperla’s new $12 million “Scream Zone” on Stillwell Avenue that includes two other thrill rides. The Italy-based company has also been tapped by the city to take over running the larger, faster Cyclone, which drops riders 85 feet and borders Luna Park.

“Historically, Coney Island was always been on the cutting edge of the amusement industry, and iconic roller coasters like the Cyclone were a major part of that,” said Zamperla CEO Valerio Ferrari. “With Scream Zone — which will include the first major roller coasters in New York City in more than 80 years — we are bringing back the thrills and innovative spirit that first made Coney Island America’s Playground.“

City officials said that even more coasters are in Coney Island’s future.

Coney Island historian Charles Denson said he welcomes seeing Coney Island return to its glory days as a coaster kingdom.

“Coney Island was always a testing ground for roller coasters,” said Denson, who estimated roughly 50 coasters have thrilled riders in the amusement district since the former Switchback Railway became the first in 1884.

“They were building them left and right. Testing them out. It was amazing.”

_______________________________________________


http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...er=rss&emc=rss
In the Ruins of Playland, Artifacts of Better Days









January 31, 2011
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Nathan Kensinger, photo-chronicler extraordinaire of the city’s abandoned spaces, returns this morning with a lavishly illustrated dispatch from the Playland Arcade in Coney Island, which flourished, to varying degrees, from 1935 until 1982. It comes at a moment in Coney’s history when several of its more venerable remaining institutions are getting the boot, when, Mr. Kensinger writes, “Cha Cha’s and Ruby’s have served their last drinks and have, in turn, been served with eviction papers.”

Of Playland, Mr. Kensinger writes:

Inside the arcade, an army of raccoons and cats has taken over. If not for the freezing winter weather, the stench of their urine would be overwhelming. … Lining the walls of this forlorn structure is an impressive artifact from Coney Island’s history, in the form of dozens of hand-painted murals. Though badly deteriorated, there are many colorful scenes remaining. Presented almost as panels in a comic book, these are portraits of a different Coney Island era, long past. Strip poker, naked hunting, shotgun weddings, Sasquatch, moonshine, Skee-Ball, mermaids and cartoonish gun violence. This is Coney Island’s lost soul.

Pics and blog here...
http://kensinger.blogspot.com/2011/0...-playland.html

[NYguy]

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

Coney Island 8 Vow Not to Give Up Against "Goliath"


An architect's rendering of renovations for Paul's Daughter that was submitted to CAI in 2010.

By Adrian Fussell
Feb. 1 2011

...CAI announced last week that it will take over operation of the historic Cyclone roller coaster, built in 1927, along with adding new attractions and rides for the 2011 season, beginning April 16.

The "Coney Island 8" -- including local favorites like Paul's Daughter, Ruby's, and paintball attraction Shoot the Freak, which was illegally bulldozed by CAI in December -- accuse CAI, et al, of deceitful and underhanded tactics, citing assurances that they would be able to renew their leases and going so far as to commission plans and renderings for renovations, only to receive eviction notices. All eight have appealed the eviction and the decisive hearing is slated for February 16.

...Stepping into the former business's vacated properties as part of the new Coney Island vision will be the French food services provider Sodexo, which has a contract with CAI for all of the park's concessions operations. As one of the largest corporations in the world, it has an equally large portfolio of morally questionable and sometimes illegal business practices.

...Sodexo already runs the concession stands at Luna Park, which reopened in May 2010, and will operate the Luna Park Cafe, a Surf Avenue restaurant scheduled to open this season.

For its part, "CAI has hired over 100 people from the community, and they are hiring more. Everyone is looking forward to it," said Community Board 13 District Manager Charles Reichenthal. Coney Island has an unemployment rate more than twice as high as the rest of New York City, according to the city's Economic Development Corporation, which is working with CAI to bring in the new development.

Libby Langsdorf from the EDC told nyunews.com that those developments would upon completion "create more than 5000 new units of housing, more than 500,000 square feet of new retail and neighborhood services, [and] 25,000 construction and 6,000 permanent jobs." Zamperla can back up the talk too, announcing last week that two new roller coasters -- Soaring Eagle and Steeplechase Coaster -- in an amusement park called "Scream Zone" will open in April 2011 to the tune of $12 million.

...Local politicians, the EDC, and the community board have all sided with CAI and Sodexo in their quest for boardwalk dominance, yet the Coney Island 8 decry the amusement-concessions union as another step towards gentrification and one more away from affordable entertainment.

"Coney Island is a place where classes can mix. There are very few places that are beachfront properties where you have that," said Ruby's owner Sarrel.

Pamela Harris, 50, a youth organizer and lifelong Coney Island resident, says that it is time for the businesses to go, despite the trouble that Sodexo carries with its name. "They believe that they are fighting for the community, but they have never given anything to us. We have heard about the lawsuits, and that a lot of them have to do with their business partners, but now we'll have some more opportunities. Absolutely, bring it on!" Harris said.

Capitalism's winter offensive rumbles closer to bringing down the eight old timers on a seasonally abandoned boardwalk, and no one will be around to hear them fall. February's hearing could wipe away "preservers of the quintessential Coney Island experience" with the once-unthinkable blessing of the people who actually live there, but Michael Sarrel and his allies are not giving up.

"I am optimistically optimistic. I feel like right now we're in a coma. We're not dead but we're certainly not alive. As long as we're breathing without life support, there's always a chance."

[NYguy]

bfick

[NYguy]

http://amusingthezillion.com/2011/02...ising-skyline/

Photo of the Day: The Scream Zone’s Rising Skyline



On Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island, Zamperla Coaster Rises on Skyline.
January 31, 2011. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

February 2, 2011 by Tricia

Coney Island photographer Eric Kowalsky, who valiantly documented Thor Equities’ demolition of the Henderson Music Hall and the Bank of Coney, finally got to take some photos of construction on Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue on Monday.

Amid the snow, sleet and ice pellets, construction crews for Central Amusement International are putting up Zamperla’s flying coaster. The blue steel supports for the Scream Zone’s Soaring Eagle joined Deno’s Wonder Wheel, the Astrotower and the Cyclone on the skyline.

Back in October, ATZ got a first look at renderings of the four rides set to open at Luna Park’s new Scream Zone in April. Two of the rides are Zamperla coasters: the American Eagle-themed Volare flying coaster and the Steeplechase horse-themed MotoCoaster .

Scream Zone will also feature Zamperla’s Turbo Force and a SlingShot high thrill ride from Funtime. The newly re-themed Soaring Eagle was relocated from Denver’s Elitch Gardens, where it made its debut as the Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian, in 2002. The supports and track for the flying coaster arrived in Coney Island in November. New cars and a new computer operating system are being manufactured for the ride by Zamperla. Ride experts say the two coasters will go up very quickly, but the other two rides require deep foundation work.

This year Palm Sunday, Coney Island’s traditional opening day of the season, falls on April 17. The date is just 75 days away!

Zamperla/CAI has a ten-year lease to operate amusements on the 6.9 acres the City bought for $95.6 million from Thor Equities. Zamperla’s Scream Zone will be located on City-owned parcels at Stillwell and the Boardwalk.

[NYguy]

Photos from Coney Island Photo Diary

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Well, its a few months behind schedule, but the City is building the Steeplechase Plaza on part of the site of the original Steeplehase. Work is supposed to start within a few months on this site, which will also include a new home for the restored B&B Carousel

The work permit was disclosed at the coneyisland.com message board...


http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ocnumber=01#JD

Job Description

CONSTRUCT NEW ONE STORY STRUCTURE TO HOUSE CAROSEL AND EATING AND DRINKING PLACE.

Perimeter Wall Height (ft.): 26

Building Height (ft.): 32

Steeplechase Plaza will sit on land that was part of the original Steeplechase, and form the western gateway to the outdoor amusement district. Ironically, the pavilion will be the first of the new "enclosed" amusements at Coney Island.

The city has yet to release any designs or renderings of the actual plaza, but here is the plan:

[NYguy]

From Coney Island Photo Diary

[NYguy]

It wasn't long ago that we watched as the Henderson and Bank of Coney buildings were being prepared for demolition and finally demo began.
Thor Equities plans to build temporary structures for the sites until more permanent buildings (including 30 story hotels) can be built.

nycscout






Demolition









Joseph Sitt's (Thor) temporary place holder...





FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Went out yesterday to get an update on things. They are now tearing up the foundation in preparation for this "development" that should be open by the summer.




Amusements in the "Scream Zone" rise in the background...




The American Eagle is the first to begin...








































This is where the Steeplechase Coaster is to rise...





Meanwhile, work should also begin soon on the new Steeplechase Plaza and pavilion (see earlier post) at this site, home of the original...








The City has yet to acquire the boardwalk property tying the new Steeplechase Plaza to the planned outdoor amusement district...




My favorite of all Coney landmarks, the Parachute Drop...




Old Coney...












The old Bank of Coney building before demolition...

nycscout




In demo days...








This site is also now clear, with placeholders set to begin...








People out for a winter's stroll on the boardwalk...








Some walked the shore itself...

[NYguy]

From Elephant Man at the coneyisland.com message board...
http://www.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/y...96569439/60#60

[NYguy]

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...ey_island.html

Why change is good for Coney Island: Good riddance to Shoot the Freak



BY Pamela Harris
February 13th 2011

During the winter, most New Yorkers forget about Coney Island. The Boardwalk becomes cold and windy, and the Cyclone is covered in snow.

This year has been different because of the controversy surrounding Boardwalk business owners - including those of Ruby's, Shoot the Freak, Gyro Corner, Cha Cha's and Beer Island - who are suing because their leases were not renewed by Central Amusements International, which operates the new Luna Park amusements and is also seeking to refurbish the Boardwalk.

These businesses are claiming to be historic landmarks that have been pushed aside as part of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to redevelop this decrepit seaside resort.

Their argument might sound good to people who spend a few hours at Coney Island once every summer and enjoy its rundown assemblage of attractions. But as one of the 50,000 New Yorkers who lives in Coney Island, I can tell you that we desperately need something new.

First, these businesses never hired from the local community, which is a rich tapestry of colors and ethnicities - this despite the fact that Coney Islanders are more likely to be unemployed than many other New Yorkers. These businesses were dying a slow death, and were not contributing to the economic growth our neighborhood so badly needs.

Coney Island has been in the doldrums for some time. Once a fashionable beach community, it went into a decline in the second half of the 20th century. Failed development plans, urban renewal designations that went nowhere and rising poverty and crime rates turned it into a blighted neighborhood. The Boardwalk businesses are sad reminders of that era, not cornerstones of a brighter future.

Today major development is in the works, on the Boardwalk and off. The city's plan for Coney Island includes 5,000 new housing units, infrastructure improvements and a 27-acre amusement and entertainment area.

The city says these investments are going to create 6,000 permanent jobs; a job fair this summer drew hundreds of people, mostly from the surrounding area. "You can see the line. It's all ages and groups. It's older and younger and teenagers and grandpas. They need jobs," a community activist told WNYC News.

Boardwalk tenants now so upset had years to invest in their establishments and make them profitable. They never did it - instead, they let them fall into disrepair. When, at Ruby's, the bathroom floor collapsed, we expected management to fix the place up. But they went on as usual. "Ruby's is gone; who the hell wants to go to Coney Island?" one barfly complained to a reporter. To that I say, good riddance.

Another infamous Boardwalk "attraction" that I would never let my kids near is Shoot the Freak. Claiming to capture the quirky spirit of Coney Island, Shoot the Freak glorified violence and perpetuated ugly stereotypes. In a neighborhood plagued by gun violence, drugs and serious poverty - one in whose 60th NYPD Precinct, 10 people were shot to death last year - Shoot the Freak was an insult to us all.

The departure of the old Boardwalk stalwarts doesn't mean that the history of Coney Island is over - it means that we have a much better future ahead. With a revitalized Boardwalk, we will be on the path to employing Coney Island's residents and creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

This past summer was the best in decades: 400,000 people visited the new Luna Park, while 14 million strolled along the Boardwalk or lounged on the beach.

I'm not saying that the new Coney Island should ignore its past, but in order for us to move forward - and for our children to have good jobs and safe places to live - we need to embrace change. Our future is more important than some people's rosy conception of the past.

[NYguy]

dutchmazz

[NYguy]

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

Coney Island favorites Ruby's, Beer Island may return next summer, though Shoot the Freak will not



BY Erin Durkin
February 15th 2011

Some longtime Boardwalk favorites could be back for one more Coney Island summer, the Daily News has learned.

A deal is in the works to let businesses like Ruby's and Beer Island - facing the boot by amusement giant Zamperla - return for another season if they agree to go quietly in the fall, sources told The News.

Zamperla had vowed to shutter the eight businesses and replace them with glitzier attractions like a sports bar and sitdown restaurant. But the legal fight over the evictions has dragged on long enough to jeopardize those plans.

Talks have focused on a deal that would let the businesses - which also include favorites like Paul's Daughter, the Grill House, Cha Cha's, Gyro Corner and Coney Island Souvenirs - open this summer, but bar them from challenging their evictions again in the fall.

Only the infamous Shoot the Freak game is left out of the deal, since Zamperla - which already has been fined for illegally bulldozing the attraction - wants to use the land for an entrance to Scream Zone, its new amusement park.

The game's fate could be a sticking point to striking a final deal with the other businesses, sources said.

Marc Aronson, a lawyer for the eight businesses, declined to discuss the details, but confirmed the sides are working on a settlement. "We really are extremely close," he said, but he added that any deal probably won't be done by a court date today.

Business owners said a one-year reprieve looks like the best they can do.

"When you have a loaded gun to your head, and your choice is you could do this or we'll pull the trigger, you don't want the trigger to get pulled just yet," said Ruby's co-owner Michael Sarrel.

Another business owner said the group knew it faced an uphill legal battle. "It doesn't give us another home after next year, [but] it's better than nothing," the business owner said. "They have the lease to the property. We don't."

Zamperla declined to comment on ongoing negotiations, but a source close to the developer said it wanted to avoid a strip of empty storefronts.

"The Boardwalk will not be dark this summer," the source said.

[patriotizzy]

^^^^ I hope they accept that deal. It's nice that Coney Island is getting a grand redevelopment, with nicer and flashier buildings and restaurants. However, it's good to have something for everyone, and those two places (Ruby's and Beer Island) look like they cater to the money weary population. Population that doesn't need fancy food to have a good time

[Roadcruiser1]

I hope Ruby's would find a new location so they can open in the summer of 2012 even though they are opening on 2011.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

I hope Ruby's would find a new location so they can open in the summer of 2012 even though they are opening on 2011.

This reminds me of when Astroland was given one final season in 2008. But those businesses should all be looking forward to reopening at other locations
(there are still sites for rent in the amusement district), but they want to hold on to that prime boardwalk space.

If a deal is reached, they'll be able to celebrate a final season of being open on the boardwalk, but will have to go quietly when the season ends. That would allow Zamperla
to build it's themed boardwalk to go along with its amusements.




Keep in mind that for the most part, even Zamperla's amusements are temporary.

Further west on the boardwalk however, more permanent development begins to take shape, with process of issuing permits for the new Pavilion at 1615 Boardwalk West...
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/BS...allbin=3341513


The City hasn't released renderings of the Pavilion, but the concept is shown here. The actual building will be about half this size, with more open space
given to the plaza itself...




Steeplechase Plaza will form the transition area of the boardwalk into the outdoor amusement zone. The City's plan is to have all outdoor amusements aligned
along the boardwalk, with indoor amusements further away, followed by other amusements and hotel.





The best rendering of the "concept" I've seen that goes along with the City's plan was released by Thor Equities and the Thinkwell team...
Below you can see the zones of outdoor amusements, indoor amusements, and finally hotels along Surf Avenue, though slightly different from the plan above.




Developer Joseph Sitt (Thor Equities) has released various renderings from Thinkwell over the years, with it's plans for an indoor hotel and amusement complex.
With the City's plan for infrastructure work set to begin, Sitt plans to open temporary amusement/attractions at some of the recently demlished sites.
Set to open this year at the prime location of Surf and Stillwell...


From Thinkwell

(Updated to give permit and info...http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/Jo...ssdocnumber=01)

PERMIT ISSUED - PARTIAL JOB 02/16/2011

ONE STORY NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH ASSEMBLY AND AMUSEMENT SPACES AS INDICATED ON PLANS FILED HEREWITH

Other renderings from Thinkwell showed Sitt's plans for that particular location...













Thor's plans for another complex on land eventually sold to the City (from Thinkwell)...

















More concepts...

[NYguy]

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

Vacant land at Coney may offer biz hope

BY Erin Durkin
February 17th 2011

Coney Island businesses facing the boot have set their sights on vacant city property a block down the Boardwalk.

The eight businesses are close to a deal with amusement giant Zamperla that would let seven of them return to their current spots for one more summer, but they'd have to clear out after that.

Carlo Muraco, co-owner of Shoot the Freak and Beer Island, has asked the city to rent out the nearby property.

"With all this undeveloped property, why do we have to be fighting over one particular piece of property?" said Muraco. Shoot the Freak was left out of the current offer and is still without a home for the coming season.

"They should go build up other areas and leave us alone, but obviously that's not going to happen.

"Our Boardwalk is way too small anyway," he said. "It would be nice to extend the Boardwalk another block."

The city owns two 40-foot strips of land on either side of a bigger property owned by landlord Horace Bullard.

The city is believed to be interested in eventually buying the property from Bullard and making it part of a larger redevelopment, but there are no firm plans.

"Instead of sitting there for the next eight years while you guys try to figure out what to do with it, why can't we do something with it?" Muraco said.

City officials declined to comment on the idea but noted city land has to be leased out through a public bidding process.

Politicians have shown little interest in keeping the old-time businesses in place, favoring Zamperla's plans for glitzier attractions.

Other business owners said they'd jump at the chance for new Boardwalk digs.

"I love the Boardwalk. I won't go any place else but the Boardwalk," said Steve Bitetzakis, owner of Grillhouse. "If it's on the Boardwalk, I'll move anywhere."

John Ciarcia, owner of Cha Cha's, also expressed interest in the property, saying: "Who wants to be down on the street when you can be looking at the ocean while you're working all day?"

Yesterday's court date between the businesses and Zamperla was postponed as the sides try to work out a deal.

The last known hurdle is the fate of Shoot the Freak, which Zamperla won't bring back because it wants the land for an entrance to its new amusement park, Scream Zone.

"Shoot the Freak is bending over backwards to try and make a deal with them," Muraco said.

And this is exactly why they won't be around after this season:

"I love the Boardwalk. I won't go any place else but the Boardwalk," said Steve Bitetzakis, owner of Grillhouse. "If it's on the Boardwalk, I'll move anywhere."

John Ciarcia, owner of Cha Cha's, also expressed interest in the property, saying: "Who wants to be down on the street when you can be looking at the ocean while you're working all day?".

There is no "vacant" land available from the City. What they should be doing is talking to the other large landlords in the area to set up if they want to stay open in the amusment district.