Has Thor's Hammer Come Down on a Coney Dissident?

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]

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Joe Sitt is perhaps the most dangerous man in Brooklyn, set on turning as much of the borough as he can into a big shopping mall.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 11:50 AM

With Thor Equities in the driver's seat you can plan on this getting plenty more ugly.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 11:52 AM

I don't know how Sitt has the gall to classify himself as a "developer". He ain't nothin' but a flipping "playa".

Posted by: johnife at June 10, 2008 11:56 AM

Yes, it's a conspiracy, complete with smoke-filled rooms. You heard it first on brownstoner.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 12:49 PM

not a conspiracy, 12:49, an out-and-out smear.

this is gross. it's gonna be a long summer, filled w sitt's hot air.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 2:07 PM

what wrong with sometimes sleeping at the office. I would not even have my high paying job if occasionally I could not pull off in all nighter at the the office.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 2:25 PM

i dont doubt he was living there, but this is a guy who doesnt make or have any money.

It's a bit much to expect him to go toe to toe w/ a deep pocketed developer and last til the end. I'm sure Sitt has PI's and such on retainer to find out this sort of info. No one is perfect.

Posted by: slick at June 10, 2008 2:52 PM

There have also been a few very flattering profiles of Zigun in the past week discussing why he's leaving the CIDC. He's shown that he's quite good at playing the PR game himself.

Posted by: Flatbushwhacker at June 10, 2008 3:36 PM

I happen to dig where Zigun is coming from regarding Coney. But if he's going to take on the big boys (i.e., billion-dollar NYC developers), he'd better be PREPARED for some brushback pitches!

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 4:55 PM

Dick Zigun makes $50,000 a year according to his non-profit filings, which is more than what a lot of people make, especially in Coney Island and especially without having to pay rent, which accounts for over a third of most peoples' annual income.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 5:16 PM

Maybe he was just doing a new-century update on "The Little Fugitive". Besides, given the amount of energy he must be expending to battle Thor/Sitt (as in, down your throat), you can't blame him for collapsing every now and then.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 5:16 PM

Whatever happened to the city just taking the land from Sitt. Sometimes that is the only way to deal with destructive developers.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 9:48 PM

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June 10, 2008

Has Thor's Hammer Come Down on a Coney Dissident?

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