After reading this weekend’s story in The Times about the stand-off in Coney Island between Thor Equities, the major landowner in Coney Island, and the City, which is pushing ahead with a rezoning of the area and desperately wants the 10.5 acres that Thor controls, we’re surprised there hasn’t been a larger outcry about the overly-cozy relationship between Thor’s founder Joe Sitt and City Councilman Donald Recchia, his close childhood friend who appears to have his back at every turn. “Mr. Recchia has gone to great lengths to support his friend, including involving himself in the negotiations over a land price,” writes The Times. “At a time when the city is slashing its budget, Mr. Recchia has urged the city to pay more.” Recchia also pushed for stipulations at the community board level that would allow for larger retail tenants than the city’s plan calls for, a move designed to play to Thor’s strength as a strip mall operator. Kinda unseemly, no?
City and a Developer Face Off Over Coney Island’s Future [NY Times]
Photo by Mark Elkhatib