November 6, 2009

EDC's Deal for Wonder Wheel Park Goes Through

woner%20wheel%2011-09.jpg
The Economic Development Corporation's purchase of the Coney Island land that Wonder Wheel Park sits on was recorded in public records yesterday. The EDC announced it had gone into contract with the property's owner, Ward Realty, last year, and that it would pay $11 million for the parcels, but the purchase price ended up being $9.75 million. According to an EDC spokeswoman, the Ward family agreed to reduce the purchase price in exchange for closing at an earlier date. In a press release about the purchase last year, the EDC said that Wonder Wheel Park would remain a tenant on the site through 2020 and that "the deal is the first of what NYCEDC expects to be a series of land acquisitions in the coming months as the City proceeds with its vision to create a 21st century entertainment destination and protect Coney Island’s amusement legacy in perpetuity."
Deed: 1025-27 Boardwalk West, 1102 Bowery, 3001 Jones Walk [ACRIS] GMAP
Photo by OMG! Ponies!

November 3, 2009

$21 Million Grant for Coney Affordable Housing

Residents at Luna Park, the Mitchell Lama-era housing complex in Coney Island, got a lifeline yesterday when public officials announced a $21 million grant to renovate the ailing structures; residents had feared that the 1,600-unit co-op would go private and lose its protections like many others have done in recent years. Most of the money ($15 million) for fixing windows, brickwork and rooftops at the complex will come from HPD. A number of local politicians and city agencies were at the table on this one, including Representative Jerrold Nadler, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator Diane Savino, reports The Real Deal.
Coney Island Housing Complex Gets $21M [TRD]
Press Release [R8NY]

October 1, 2009

Closing Bell: Film Festival Double-Header

The New York Post points out that it's film festival weekend here in Brooklyn: we've got the Red Hook International Film & Video Festival at 499 Van Brunt Street and the Coney Island Film Festival at 1208 Surf Avenue. The Post highlights films such as Coney Fest's “The Prince of Mermaid Avenue”, about a Major Meats butcher famous to locals, or Redhook Fest's local films including a piece about late Gowanus Lounge blogger Robert Guskind. Check out the festivals' sites for full listings, and enjoy! It's certainly good weather for film festivals.
Cannes Do! Two Film Festivals in Brooklyn [New York Post]

September 14, 2009

Another Snag for Marty's Amphitheatre

It's been a rough road for the Asser Levy amphitheatre, Marty Markowitz's dream project. Ever since the $64 million project was announced, various neighborhood factions have attacked it for being both a misallocation of resources, noisy and disrespectful to the synagogue nearby. Now, the Brooklyn Paper reports, the Parks Department has "put the brakes" on the project, allegedly in a capitulation to the community opposition. “We’re hopeful that this results in a drastically different plan for the park,” said Geoffrey Croft, president of anti-amphitheatre group NYC Park Advocates.
Coney Arena Opponents Now Dwelling on Sound [Brownstoner]
Coney's Potato Chip Amphitheater Revealed [Brownstoner]
Community Concerns About Marty's Coney Concert Space [Brownstoner]

September 4, 2009

Update: Dreamland to Reopen

As we mentioned yesterday, there were rumors that Coney Island's Dreamland amusement park, closed on August 21 by owner Joe Sitt due to rent owed by operator Anthony Raffaelle, might reopen for Labor Day weekend. The Brooklyn Paper brings us the verified report that it will, in fact, open, due to the efforts of Councilman Domenic Recchia (D–Coney Island), who had denounced Sitt in the Daily News as “a heartless person who only cares about money." Even though Raffaelle admitted to owing over $500,000 in rent, he and Dreamland employees as well as local sympathizers expressed anger at the park's closing, calling Sitt a bully who didn't consider the children who would be disappointed. Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for Sitt's company Thor Equities, said: “Thor Equities is thrilled that Coney Island residents and visitors—particularly kids who start school next week—will get one final taste of summer fun at Dreamland over Labor Day.”
The Fate of Coney's Dreamland [Brownstoner]
Sweet 'Dreamland'! [Brooklyn Paper]
Coney Island's Dreamland Shut Down [Daily News]
Photo by Amusing the Zillion

September 3, 2009

The Fate of Coney's Dreamland

The message boards at Coney Island U.S.A. suggest that Dreamland, which was closed indefinitely by Thor Equities because of about half a million dollars in overdue rent from operator Anthony Raffaelle, might reopen this weekend. Since there hasn't been an official announcement from Thor or Raffaelle, does anyone know the official scoop? Coincidentally, September 7 marks the anniversary of the closing of Astroland in 2008, the long-time Coney Island amusement park and predecessor to Dreamland.
Dreamland to Reopen Sept. 4-7 [CIUSA message board]
Dreamland Closed for Summer [Brownstoner]
Photo by Tricia Vita

August 31, 2009

Dreamland Closed for Summer

After developer Joe Sitt locked down Dreamland amusement park on Coney Island on August 21 because of over half a million dollars in owed rent, park operator Anthony Raffaelle swore he would find legal recourse to reopen it. (Dreamland, the roller rink, is still very much open!) The Brooklyn Paper reports that Raffaelle went to the state Supreme Court on August 28, asking for a court order forcing Sitt to unlock the gates, yet the judge did not make an immediate decision and instead put off the case until Friday, September 18. This means that, in all likelihood, the park will remain shuttered for the rest of the summer.
Coney's Dreamland Will Be Closed [Brooklyn Paper]
Joe Sitt Is No Dream Operator [Brownstoner]
Will Dreamland Reopen? [Brownstoner]
Photo by

August 26, 2009

Bloomberg Opines on Atantic Yards, Coney Island

Mayor Bloomberg spoke with reporters from the Community Newspaper Group, the parent company of The Brooklyn Paper, on Monday as part of his campaign tour, where they discussed everything from overzealous ticketing agents to Atlantic Yards. Concerning the latter, he hopes that developer Forest City Ratner can use the Frank Gehry designs for the arena and skyscrapers, as originally planned but later abandoned due to cost. It would make the arena—and Brooklyn—even more of an international draw, he reasoned: "Simon and Garfunkel on their tour would go to Brooklyn in a second before they go to Madison Square Garden. They’re New Yorkers." (Has MSG been airlifted out of NYC recently?) Concerning the epic legal battles and financial concerns behind the massive development, the mayor sided with Ratner. "One of the great sins here is this small group of people stalled it so long [that] the economy is different," he said. (AY Report disputes this view here.) Also of note, Mayor Bloomberg touched upon another hot-button development topic, Coney Island. Last month, City Council approved his plan for a new amusement park, hotels, theaters, a water park, and apartments. The last step is to purchase all or some of the land owned by developer Joe Sitt of Thor Equities. "Fundamentally, the deal with him is done," the mayor said. He also insisted that Sitt will not develop the land himself, ominously adding that "He needs sewers; he needs water; he needs streets ... If the city doesn’t want to cooperate, [Sitt’s] going to spend a lot of time with a lot of money tied up."
Bloomy Still Wants Gehry—and Other Tidbits [Brooklyn Paper]
Bloomberg Blames AY Opponents for Loss of Gehry [AY Report]
Photo by David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons

August 25, 2009

Will Dreamland Reopen?

We mentioned yesterday that Joe Sitt, founder of Thor Equities, locked the gates to the amusement park Dreamland on Friday, due to rent owed him by the park's operator, Anthony Raffaelle. The move garnered the developer plenty of bad press, but, to be fair, it did turn out that Raffaelle did owe Sitt around $500,000 in rent, and Sitt's spokesman, Stefan Friedman, defended the move with the following explanation: “Dreamland has been locked out because it has not come close to meeting its financial obligations in many months. We are hopeful that Dreamland will soon pay its rent so it can quickly reopen the rides and allow Coney Islanders and visitors to continue enjoying what has been a spectacular summer so far.” The Brooklyn Paper reports that Raffaelle acknowledged that he owes Sitt the half million dollars, but called the lock-out illegal nonetheless, because Sitt locked the site without a court order. He plans to return today with a court order to reopen the site. Meanwhile, other die hard Coney Islanders (like the person behind Kinetic Carnival, which is responsible for the image above) are still calling for Sitt's head on a stick.
Coney Carney Vows to Reopen on Tuesday [Brooklyn Paper]
Joe Sitt Shuts Down His Coney Amusement Park [Brooklyn Paper]
Joe Sitt Is No Dream Operator [Brownstoner]

August 24, 2009

Joe Sitt is No Dream Operator

Joe Sitt, founder of Thor Equities (and, by extension, owner of large swaths of this city), shut down Coney Island's Dreamland on Friday due to the operator's failure to pay rent, reports The Brooklyn Paper. Last year, Joe Sitt had shut down Astroland, the amusement park in operation since 1962, only one year after purchasing the land. He opened Dreamland to succeed Astroland, but now seems to be attempting to earn a master's degree in shutting down amusement parks. Brooklyn Councilman Dominic Recchia, a former ally of Sitt, told the Daily News: "This is a heartless person who only cares about money."
Joe Sitt Shuts Down His Own Park [Brooklyn Paper]
Coney Island's Dreamland Shut Down [NY Daily News]
Thor Bringing 'Dreamland' to Coney [Brownstoner]
Photo by Anthony Catalano

August 3, 2009

Fight to Landmark the Home of Nathan's

Preservation of Coney Island is such a charged topic that it has practically become an official Brooklyn sport. The next round in the game is one resident's attempt to save the Nathan's hotdog building by granting it landmark status and forcing developments to take root elsewhere. The petition, launched on Sunday, had 51 supporters at the time of this post, with a goal of 50,000. Note also that PetitionSpot, the site hosting the petition, has another, similar petition here, with 34 supporters and a goal of 100,000. Do you think the Nathan's building is worth the fight? For a little history, check out the Flickr posting of the above photo from Wallyg.

July 30, 2009

City's Coney Plan Approved, Deal With Sitt Near

As expected, the City Council approved the Bloomberg administration's plans for the rezoning and redevelopment of Coney Island yesterday afternoon, and reports surfaced that the City was close to reaching a deal with its long-time nemesis in the area, Joe Sitt. The Council voted 44-2 in favor of the plan, with only Tony Avella of Queens and Charles Barron of Brooklyn opposing it. The deal with Sitt is more interesting. According to The Times, the city would buy six of the ten acress Sitt's company Thor Equities owns in the footprint, leaving him four acres on Stillwell and Surf Avenues for him to develop; no word on price. Needless to say, the group Save Coney Island wasn't very pleased with the Council's vote: “This is a sad day for New York City," said spokesman Juan Rivero. "As a result of this rezoning, people across the city and around the world who love Coney Island could see its historic amusement district shrunk, covered up and blocked off with high-rises, its history destroyed and its potential squandered — all for nothing."
Council Approves Deal to Upgrade Coney Island [NY Times]
Bloomberg's Coney Island Plan Passes City Council [NY Daily News]
Council Approves Coney Plan [NY Post]
Photo by John Chevier

July 22, 2009

Council Committee Signs Off on Coney Plan

The Zoning Subcommittee and Land Use Committee of the City Council voted to approve the city's plan for the redevelopment of Coney Island. The committee agreed to important modifications regarding affordable housing, union labor and the preservation of the land around the Wonder Wheel but the tweaks fell short of what the group Save Coney Island wanted to see. “The City Council’s Land Use Committee unfortunately failed to back the revisions needed to prevent the destruction of Coney Island as a world-class amusement destination,” said Save Coney Island spokesman Juan Rivero. “I know there are those who would like to see lower buildings on the south side of Surf Avenue. We just couldn’t make this work,” said Council Member Domenic Recchia, who was involved in the negotiations and declared himself satisfied with the outcome. The critics were somewhat heartened by the possibility that changes may still be made by the City Planning Commission before it goes to a full vote at the City Council on July 29. Meanwhile, developer Joe Sitt, who owns much of the land in the footprint of the city's plan, continued to play tough. "I'm the guy who controls this - it's my sandbox," he said.
Coney Island Plan Gets a Green Light [Crain's]
Coney Plan Receives Green Light From Council Committees [Brooklyn Eagle]
Council: Bloomy Coney Rezoney is no Baloney [Brooklyn Paper]
Council Members Push for More Time on Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
Developer Threatens City's Coney Plan [NY Post]

July 16, 2009

Historians Line Up Against City's Coney Plan

Taking a page out of the anti-Dock Street play book (which didn't work out so well in the end), the organizers of the movement to stop (or modify) the city's plan for the rezoning and redevelopment of Coney Island have recruited a pedigreed list of historians to sign and go public with a letter of opposition. Here's the meat of the letter:

The City’s rezoning plan for Coney Island, however, dishonors its past and sacrifices its future. It would shrink the area reserved for amusement parkland to only 12 acres. It would insert soaring high-rises into the very heart of Coney Island’s historic amusement district. It would invite developers to tear down many of Coney Island’s remaining historic buildings, some dating back more than a century. This shrunken amusement district, hemmed in by high-rises, would leave little room for the innovation and creativity that have been Coney Island’s hallmarks for more than a century.

Signatories include Ric Burns, Charles Denson and Francis Morrone. The deadline for modifying the plan originally was this past Monday but may be extended to this coming Monday; the City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan in its current form within the next two weeks.
12 Prominent Historians: Fix Coney Island Rezoning Plan [Save CI]
Council Members Push for More Time on Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
City Planning Votes in Favor of City's Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
Marty Weighs In On City's Coney Plan [Brownstoner]

Continue reading "Historians Line Up Against City's Coney Plan"

July 9, 2009

Closing Bell: Dick Zigun on City's Coney Plan

Coney Island's unofficial mayor Dick Zigun weighs in on the city's plan for the seaside area. Basically, he doesn't like the idea of large hotels taking up space on the south side of Surf Avenue that could be used for amusements; he also thinks the plan could lead to the destruction of some of the area's most loved landmarks.

July 2, 2009

Council Members Push for More Time on Coney Plan

Yesterday's City Council Land Use Committee Hearing and the Bloomberg administration's plans for Coney Island didn't go as well as the city would have liked, reports the Brooklyn Eagle. A number of Council Members, including Recchia, Avella and Yassky, argued for a delay in the ULURP process, suggesting at the same time that they were not in favor of the city's plan. Yassky said that he thought the private sector was better equipped to implement the redevelopment of the touristy area. Other areas of concern raised in all-day session were a need for more affordable housing, the potential for the use of eminent domain and whether the city has the financial means to carry through on the plan. The calls for delay and skeptical questioning followed the opening session in which Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, EDC head Seth Pinksy and Brooklyn City Planning honcho Purnima Kapur all gave prepared statements in support of the plan. The Council has only until July 13 to modify the plan and until July 29 to cast a final vote on it.
City’s Coney Island Plan Meets With Council Opposition [Brooklyn Eagle]

June 30, 2009

Crain's: Joe Sitt Feels Misunderstood

Joe Sitt, the local boy made good, has Coney Island's best interests at heart but can't get the public, or public officials, to believe him. That's the gist of a profile in yesterday's Crain's:

"It's my passion to make Coney Island better,” says the suddenly teary-eyed chief executive of Thor Equities. “It is the place where I played hooky and grew up. I want to give back to the neighborhood and to New York City.”

Trouble is, many people simply don't believe him.

To some, he's the man who wants to turn Coney Island into a soulless mall; to others, he just a savvy negotiator trying to milk the most he can out of the city for his land. To some others though, his heart really is in the right place. “He has gotten a bad rap,” says Chris Havens, head of Brooklyn-based brokerage Creative Real Estate Group. “He wants to build.” At this point, though, none of that may matter. With the City Planning Commission having approved the city's redevelopment plan for Coney Island, it's all going to come down to the City Council vote. According to Crain's, Sitt's childhood buddy, Council Member Recchia, likely has the power to produce a "no" vote from his fellow council members.
Coney Island Keeper [Crain's]

June 18, 2009

City Planning Votes in Favor of City's Coney Plan

On the heels of EDC head Seth Pinksy's recent editorial in the Daily News, the City Planning Commission yesterday approved by a 12-0 margin the rezoning plan that accompanies the City's plan for redeveloping Coney Island. The special zoning district encompasses 17 blocks located between the Aquarium, the Riegelmann Boardwalk, Mermaid Avenue and West 22nd Street and covers residential development to the west as well as 27 acres of amusements to the east; the mapping and demapping of some parkland and streets are also a part of the package. Needless to say, Joe Sitt, whose Thor Equities owns more than 10 acres of land in the footprint, wasn't cheering the result: “The whole concept of the government taking over the site and building it … and then dealing with the state is mind-boggling,” he told The Brooklyn Paper. Other unhappy campers include Dick Zigun, Lola Staar and the group Save Coney Island, who got together to send out a press release knocking yesterday's decision. “Coney Island equals amusements, and we have to make the amusement area bigger, not smaller,” said Dianna Carlin (aka Lola Staar). Mayor Bloomberg begged to differ: "We cannot allow Coney Island’s decline to continue, and the opportunity to create 6,000 permanent jobs and 25,000 construction jobs in addition to 4,500 new housing units – 900 of them affordable to low and middle income families – cannot be passed up." Next and final stop for the rezoning: City Council.
Planning Commission Approves Unloved Coney Plan [Village Voice via Curbed]
Planning Commission Votes for Coney Plan [Brooklyn Eagle]
Joe Says Bloomy’s Coney Rezoney is Baloney [Brooklyn Paper]
The Fight for the Future of Coney Island [Brownstoner]
City Looks to Compromise on Coney [Brownstoner]

June 16, 2009

Closing Bell: Coney Island Mermaids Visit DCP

Yesterday, the Coney Island Mermaids and friends made the journey to lower Manhattan to see City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden at the Department of City Planning. Angie Pontani (Miss Cyclone), the Coney Island Mermaids, Musician Amos Wengler, and Rapid T. Rabbit arrived to deliver hundreds of signed postcards pleading with the city to reconsider the shrinking of Coney Island's historic amusement district. The City Planning Commission votes tomorrow on the redevelopment plan.

June 11, 2009

Sitt Says Thor's Coney Land No Longer for Sale

The public negotiation continues! Last year Joe Sitt said that he would part with his company's 10.5-acres of land in Coney Island for $165 million. Earlier this year the city, which has its own plans for remaking the area, offered $105 million. Now Sitt says the property's not for sale at all. "We don't want to sell, we want to build," Sitt told the NY Post. It'll be interesting to see who wins this game of chicken. In the end, the city holds the ultimate trump card—eminent domain.
Coney Man Kicks Sand in Mike's Face [NY Post]
City Makes Sitt an Offer He Can Refuse [Brownstoner]
The Fight for the Future of Coney Island [Brownstoner]
Photo by Tricia Vita

June 1, 2009

Coney Arena Opponents Now Dwelling on Sound

When plans for the $64 million Coney Island concert arena championed by Borough Prez Marty Markowitz were revealed earlier this year, there was the inevitable outcry from naysayers in the neighborhood. At first, the opposition said the money should be spent on schools instead. More recently, a local synagogue has threatened to invoke an obscure law prohibiting amplified sound within 500 feet of religious buildings while services are taking place; this could pose a particular problem given that synagogues tend to be in session on Friday and Saturday nights just when you'd want to be having the highest profile concerts. The architects behind the project spoke out in the Daily News yesterday to explain that the new set-up would actually result in less noise for the nabe: "The same concert turned to the same volume won't sound as loud," said Mark Husser, an architect at Grimshaw, the international firm drawing up plans for the proposed Coney Island Center inside Asser Levy Park. "I've entertained the people in that neighborhood since 1991," added Markowitz. "I've put a smile on their face for 31 years. Why would I want them to frown?"
Planners Try to Hush Asser Levy Critics [NY Daily News]
Coney's Potato Chip Amphitheater Revealed [Brownstoner]
Community Concerns About Marty's Coney Concert Space [Brownstoner]

May 20, 2009

Closing Bell: Coney Island History Project

The Coney Island History Project center opens for the 2009 season next Saturday with a new exhibition called "Coney Island Icons: The Story Behind the Landmarks of the World's Playground." Come check out all sorts of archival photos, interviews, souvenirs, etc. of four of the area's most storied attractions—The Cyclone Roller Coaster, Wonder Wheel, Parachute Jump and Childs Building. The center is located at 824 Surf Avenue under the Cyclone and is open weekends through Memorial Day.

May 7, 2009

Marty Weighs In On City's Coney Plan

In a press release yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz released his testimony on the City's plan for Coney Island. Here's an excerpt:

I am pleased to approve the City’s plan, along with what I view as some “improvements.” My recommendations can be summed up this way: Number one, add more amusements. Number two, guarantee that famous Coney Island glitz and “bling” by creating a design committee to ensure awe-inspiring architecture. And finally, make sure that anything we build we “build with Coney, by Coney and for Coney”—that is, we must ensure that the local community gets the jobs, affordable housing, rewards and resources that come along with revitalization. The local community deserves nothing less!

Let me start with my call for more amusements. As you know, it has always been my goal to ensure Coney Island remains an amusement park. That is to say, it should not be a place for quote-unquote “big-box” retail. As you know, I have not agreed with the community board in allowing greater square footage for retail. Clubs—yes! Restaurants—yes! Bowling alleys—sure! Hotels—of course! Hotels are part of the Coney tradition (there was once a hotel shaped like an elephant!) but Coney Island must not become a mall. It must be an amusement park—a vibrant part of this City’s tourist economy.

Photo by the waving cat

April 30, 2009

Thor's Big-Box Dreams for Coney Island

Critics of Thor Equities' efforts to boost the maximum retail size limit for the new Coney Island zoning from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet have long feared that the developer wants to turn the historic amusements area into another charmless strip mall. They appear to have had it right: According to a pitch book that a tipster tells us was used to (unsuccessfully) lobby Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the kind of tenants Thor is dreaming about for Coney include such charming mom-and-pops as Toys R Us, Bass Pro Shops and the Hard Rock Cafe. Gag us with a spoon! The pitch also included a push to prevent the extension of Bowery Street between Jones Walk and West 10th Street because it would "eliminate the opportunity to provide a main attraction or destination."
Cozy in Coney: Sitt and Recchia [Brownstoner]
City Makes Sitt an Offer He Can Refuse [Brownstoner]

April 29, 2009

Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Photo by Kristen Goode

Return of the Carroll Gardens Empanada Lady
The Empanada Lady has been setting up shop on Sackett and Smith once again, but according to About.com: Brooklyn, "[her] schedule is a tricky one. She and her cart can go missing for weeks at a time. The only way to tell if she's open for business? Look for her 'specials of the day' sign to appear on Smith Street -- No sign, no empanada lady." However, Chowhound pupburger makes her sound more high-tech than that: "According to her website, her hours vary according to her sales, check twitter for updates on her whereabouts." We can't find the URL -- is this 'Hound for real?

Catering to "Obsessions with Food and Real Estate"
Brooklyn Laundry is one of those dinner clubs (like the Whisk & Ladle or 4 Course Vegan) where patrons pay ahead to dine with strangers in a secret location. But this one has a twist for those interested in real estate: The dinner parties will be "housed in (among other places) various apartments on the market... Whether you’ll dine in a Madison penthouse or on an Orchard Street rooftop is anyone’s guess," says Daily Candy. Dinner costs $60 per person (or $80 with wine).

Brooklyn Restaurant and Bar Openings
The Flying Cow, an "eclectic Argentine-style restaurant—part Latin steakhouse, part tapas bar," is now open at 2 Hope Street (near Roebling Street) in Williamsburg, says Time Out New York... An Eater tipster says that the old Marco Polo Take Out space on Court Street (near Union Street) in Carroll Gardens will soon house a wine bar called Enoteca on Court: "From what we heard the opening date will be around the 3rd week of May... The wine will be international, the food small plates, panini, cheeses and salumi and pizza from the wood-burning oven." ...Clinton Hill Blog notices that Epoca has closed, but some commenters say that a new seafood restaurant is set to open in the space in June... And, finally, TONY reports on the new Bushwick bar, Tandem (236 Troutman St between Knickerbocker and Wilson Aves), where beers are served in ceramic cups that the owner turned on a potter's wheel.

After the jump: Jacques Torres ice cream, Whiskey Sunday, Totonno's, Beer Table, a Williamsburg sandwich tour, and Dressler on the big screen...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up"

Coney Island Area