News broke yesterday that the city has successfully negotiated the purchase of almost seven acres in the heart of the Coney Island amusement district from developer Joe Sitt. The deal opens the doors for Mayor Bloomberg’s plans to revive the ‘hood into a year-round destination with high-rise hotels, restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters and the city’s first new roller coaster since the Cyclone was built in 1927.
The city inked the deal after years of wrangling with the Darth Vader of Coney Island real estate, Joe Sitt, who planned a $1.5 billion Las Vegas-style resort with a huge glass-enclosed water park, retail stores and condominiums or time-share hotels in tall towers near the beach. The city purchased 6.9 acres from Sitt for $95.6 million of public funds, leaving the developer with 5.6 acres.
Officials will begin seeking a temporary amusement operator in the coming days, and are sending representatives to International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Las Vegas next week. They’ll start soliciting proposals for a permanent, year-round amusement plan after that.
With a Coney Island renaissance on the horizon, bordering neighborhoods like Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay could stand to benefit. The three communities, along with Manhattan Beach, once thrived as the center of high-life in New York City. Together they flourished with resorts and restaurants, and together they crumbled as their heyday faded. Could a revived Coney Island usher in a new era for Sheepshead Bay?
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From the pan to the oven????????????
Are they long lost relatives, was it ALL a plan?
And I thought I saw it coming but not in this shape.
I hope I am terribly mistaken.
No, I’m shaking in my boots.
Manipulation personified.
And please OMG natural disaster…..Noreaster,,,Coast line flooding
You heard it first. But what do I know
Thank G-D for Bloomberg, he really tries to keep city clean, safe and active. I just dont understand people who despise him. He does not ask for salary, never asked anyone for contributions to run his campaigns. Contributes a lot to the city as Mayor….ask yourself this question does he really need this headache…He just wants best for NYC.
Whatever his name is city controller…..
Just what we need now, Coney Island only for the rich. Its six of one, hlf a dozen of another, I guess.
How about restoring Coney Island into something resembling what it used to be, an amusement and entertainment area.
Bloomberg and G-d in the same sentence. Ouch.
The only thing he tries is to lay down is a bunch of laws that affect the middle class and then not enforce them. He is a half baked power monger.
If I was in the rich upper class I would like him too.
Crosswalks,poop laws,sidewalk repairs Verizon contracts,fire alarm boxes,Quality of life issues that has some areas looking like ghettos.
Yup his money has worked for him well. I still have not got my dollars worth from him.
Now he has a third term (money generated) to screw the average joe.
If you’re a tourist or wealthy you’re a friend of Bloomberg. The middle class can just suck it up or move.
And how much of our money did he spend on what will soon be part of the ocean?
If its such a great investment why not use Bloomberg cash.
Nice to play with someone else’s money.
One category 5 hurricane and Coney Island WILL be under the ocean. A scenario not contingent on what is done to “revive” Coney Island. But possible proof that greed overcomes any common sense.
So all of you here think that punk ass former city controller would havd done a better job for the city.
“So” you don’t think Bloomie is a punk ass.
It used to be a whore infested playground with a plenty of drugs for every one. I for one say bring everything back. Whores and coke foe everyone!!!!!!!!!!
Many Thanks,
Artie Lang
Before that it was one of the most popular amusement ares in the world. Then it was written off as archaic and allowed to die. But it was rising from the ashes until a greedy developer got his shaky little hands on it.
In 1959 it was a popular place, but in 1980-2000 it was a crack infested whore depo. You should be happy that someone is paying attention to this wasteland. This greedy developer will make a profit, as he should because he or others will make this into a amusement area once again. You are squealing that that Thor is evil, but what is you plan beside being hyper critical of any development? You got money? Can you get money? And you are going what for the community?
Thor is going to be out of the picture altogether within a year. The damage has been done already. A different plan will go through, just as destructive even if the parameters are not as large.
There have been plans submitted over the years that would have revived Coney Island without changing its intrinsic character. All of them became mired in political obstacles. The Thor plan has also been subjected to manipulation, and will eventually fail to come into fruition. The end result will be further decay of the amusement area. The only solution is for the city, which bought much of the original strip, to restore what is there. There is a renewed interest in Coney Island. If properly promoted, it can be sustained.
I think one of the main problems is all the projects nearby. The city never should have built them near Coney Island. Now they are a magnet for crime and other nasty stuff.
Those “projects” are yet another Robert Moses legacy. Moses waged a war to destroy Coney Island, and went about it in a very savage way that is still at the heart of the conflict today.
However, I don't think the current housing is as big of an issue concerning Coney Island's success as it used to be. Nor do I think the developers and city planners involved are on a moral crusade to destroy Coney Island, as Moses was. Instead, I do think they all want to see the area succeed. They just have a totally different definition of success.
Are good things in store for CI's future? I think so. Will it be vastly different than the past. I definitely think so.
Man, Moses was such a double edged sword for New York it's not even funny. Without all the highways and bridges he built New York certainly wouldn't have become the center of commerce and culture that it is today. As someone who prefers driving I can't help but respect at least that portion of his Legacy.
On the other hand he seems to have been a guy with unmatched ego that destroyed as many parts of New York as he built up and created (or prevented the construction) of things that even today are affecting the face of the city.
IMO the various “Projects” around NYC have become one of his worst legacies. They may have been built for other people but they've turned into magnets for crime and pollution and dangerous pockets all around.
If those projects weren't in Coney Island don't you think a lot more developers would be interested in the area? It's right off the beach! It's amazing that such prime real estate goes so underused. Rockaway in Queens has the same issue. All the projects over there have scared off developers from its center. At least finally they are getting some middle-upper communities like Averne.
Moses would be delighted with the current turn of events. The playground of the masses has been devastated by design and neglect. In its place a playground for the rich arises.
Since the 80s a small group of people have worked hard to revive Coney Island. In recent years their efforts finally yielded results. The decay was starting to reverse itself. Coney Island was coming out of its senescence. Money to continue this pattern would have restored Coney Island to something resembling its past glory. But this was not to be. There wasn't enough money to be made that way.
The east end of Coney Island had luxury hotels. All were gone by the 1920s. I wonder whether this crop will fare any better. I suspect that they won't.
I can't see Luxury anything surviving or being built within blocks of the Projects. I just don't.
There's no barrier between the projects and the planned location for the hotels/condos. There are projects near City Hall, but the Brooklyn Bridge approaches separate it. You'll never see projects built near luxury apartment buildings unless there is some separation. Are they going to place checkpoints on Surf, Mermaid and Neptune Avenue? The poor people consider the amusement area part of their “turf”, for good and bad. I don't think that would change.
Right. I think we're in complete agreement here…aren't we?
Yes. And the fact that this isn't apparent to those who want to build luxury buildings doesn't surprise me. They are already starting such projects on Fulton Street, which is currently a low income shopping area. Many of the stores will still be there afterwards.