Gowanus Lounge is reporting that Thor Equities may have planted a story that ran in the Post yesterday alleging that a critic of the city’s current redevelopment plans for Coney Island has been using city money for a living accommodation. The story revolves around Dick Zigun, the man behind Coney Island USA who quit his post at the Coney Island Development Corp. last week because of misgivings about a rezoning of the area that would set aside only 9 acres for an amusement district, down from the 15 that had originally been on tap. The shrinking amusement zone is largely rooted in the city trying to forge a compromise with Thor Equities, the largest landowner in the area. Thor had been pushing for an even larger non-amusement zone. The timing of the Post’s Zigun smear, therefore, is interesting given the following series of events:

April: City announces it wants smaller amusement district in Coney; Thor lawyer says the company is “guardedly optimistic” about the plan.

June 4th: Dick Zigun resigns from Coney Island Development Corp., says the following: “The CIDC plan promised a world-class tourist attraction with an entertainment core – lots of rides complemented by year-round nightclubs and enclosed water parks. Instead the core will now be rezoned for a shopping mall full of Niketowns, Toys ‘R’ Us and four 30-story hotels.”

June 9th: Story appears in the Post saying Zigun is using city funds to pay for his living arrangements. Story does not cite who gave Post the tip. Another Post story runs saying people are getting hurt riding on the Cyclone.

June 10th: Zigun says he has been sleeping on a sofa bed in city-funded offices, not using it as a primary residence; sources tell Gowanus Lounge that Thor Equities planted story to make it appear as though he was bilking tax payers.

June 24th: First public hearing about redevelopment plan scheduled.

How much uglier is all this going to get?

Who Planted the Sofagate Story? [Gowanus Lounge]