This from New York 1, but Gowanus Lounge has the story and the PICTURES. What a protest! And here’s the slide show from GL.
Costumes and color lined the steps of City Hall Friday in protest of redevelopment plans for Coney Island.
Protesters marched in a "No Condos in Coney" demonstration, to
fight part of real estate developer Thor Equities’ $2 billion plan to
rezone the area for residential use — which they say will take away
from the park’s character."What we do not want to have happen is to have condominium
development for the well-to-do to have a great white-sound,
south-facing beach as their own playground,” said Richard Egan, the
co-host of the annual Mermaid Parade on Coney Island.“It’s an amusement district, it’s for the community, it’s for
people to come to and visit,” said Miss Cyclone 2007 Angie Pontani.
“It’s not a place for luxury condominiums. It really speaks against its
history and I think the real promise of its future."Thor Equities says the majority of the land they purchased will be
used for an indoor water park and other related entertainment uses
Will Mr. Sitt continue to take an active interest in the Coney Island project or will the property get flipped?
What I would say to him and Thor equities is
1) describe the water park and particular attractions, how many slides for instance?
2) describe the admission price schedule and policy to admit the public; the public is defined as those people not staying as guests in the condos or hotel
3) Have engineers and amusement park consultants examine whether it appears to be a viable plan. I question whether adequate space exists between the Wonder Wheel and the baseball stadium for just a water park… but for it to be built inside a skyscaper?
Has anyone on the city council taken a look at how Wild Wood NJ developed amusement piers? That place is bustling.
50 years ago the Metropolitan area had Steeplechase, Rockaway Playland, Freedom Land, Palasades Amusement Park in NJ and Rye Playland in
in Westchester.
We don’t have much left. I question why Rockaway Playland was destroyed to make room for housing when the whole Island had already been leveled but sat fallow for 35 years. It supposedly is undergoing developement. I say supposedly, I happened to be in Rockaway every Sunday in the summer 2006 and really did not see much progress
Getting back to coney Island I hope Zigus and Sitt are for real. Let’s hope for the best.
3)