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]