A local politician with sympathies for Thor Equities and a poor grasp of English grammar is trying to throw a wrench into the City’s plan for the revamp of Coney Island. Community Board 13 is supporting a recent plan proposed by City Councilman Domenic Recchia to increase the size of retail stores that would be allowed along Surf Avenue from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Responding to critics’ fears that the amusment area will end up looking like a suburban strip mall, Recchia said, “We don’t want no Walmarts in Coney Island.” Ouch! The retail boost is only one of about 20 changes that Recchia has put on the table; others include opposing the city’s plan to reserve 12 acres of land for amusements, increasing parking at KeySpan Park and banning any new construction that would block the Parachute Jump. A Thor Equities spokesman called the proposals “the beginning of an attempt to make a bad plan better” and a Bloomberg flak described some of the changes, including the retail suggestion, “problematic.” What a mess.
Local Officials Call for Major Revamp of Coney Island Plan [NY Daily News]
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