November 13, 2009
City pays $96 mln for Coney land, plans new rides in '10
The City of New York inked a $95.6-million deal to buy 6.9-acres of Coney Island property along the boardwalk to create a massive year-round 27-acre amusement and entertainment district, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday.
The city has been in tumultous negotiatons with developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities who bought much of the property in recent years and kicked out many tenants, including Astroland. Sitt — who said at the Thursday press conference that his high school nickname was “Joey Coney Island” for playing hookey at the beach — will retain ownership of an adjacent 5.6 acres for future hotels and shops.
“This is a win for all of us in New York City. This is a win for all of us in America that want to see this great brand brought back to life. And this is a great win internatioanlly for all the folks that have followed along,” Sitt said. “It was a brand, forgive me, that was left almost as a legacy that was gonna die out.”
In the near-term, the city will invest $150 million for infrastructure improvements, including underground projects, more repairs to the boardwalk and a brand new Steeplechase plaza, the mayor said. The plan is to return Coney to a sparkly “people’s playground” like in its heyday a century ago.
“Beginning this coming summer, we anticipate that nearly 10 acres of the amusements and attractions will be open for busnesss, which is about double what it was this past summer,” Bloomberg said.
Coney Island is currently home to the Cyclone roller coaster, the Wonder Wheel, the New York Aquarium, the Cyclones minor-league baseball team, the original Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand and the Coney Island Polar Bear Club.
The mayor said he also expects the Ringling Bros. circus to return for the summer of 2010.
The boardwalk is also home to numerous restaurants, bars and attractions with their own devoted followers. And while the mayor thanked “Anthony Shoot the Freak” during the main part of this press conference, the operator of the human paintball-gun shooting gallery asked during the Q&A portion of the event whether his business would have a future in the city’s fancy new plans.
“Our intention is for the foreseeable future to keep all the tenants in place, certainly through next summer,” responded New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. “And we’re going to be looking to work with each of you to figure out where it makes sense for the various tenants to remain as we build out the amusement park.”
Andrew Berlingieri, the owner of Shoot the Freak, was less than assured.
“We were the ones who stayed with Coney Island through the bad times, and kept the spirit alive. And we’re the first to go when someone gets a big idea,” he told The Brooklyn Paper.
The city said it will seek to offer a 10-year lease for a comany to operate the new Coney Island theme park. Asked why the city was sinking so much money into the project, the mayor started his answe this way: “It’s Coney Island. It’s not just another beach.”
Picture credit: Astroland on Jan. 1, 2009. Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Earlier: Coney old and new: ‘Warriors,’ Dreamland and a bell
Ringling Bros. circus confirmed for summer in Coney
Coney Island ‘Phantom of the Opera’ sequel due in ‘09
Original Coney Island Pier for sale, piece by piece
Coney Island’s Astroland to reopen for 2008 season
November 13, 2009 8:57 AM in Out of Manhattan
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