Sitt's Billion-Dollar Dream for Coney Island
Joseph Sitt’s plan for Coney Island may not be quite as ambitious as the one Bruce Ratner has concocted for the Atlantic Yards, but so far Sitt’s appears to be a whole lot less contentious. Perhaps it’s because he’s trying to build on the area’s history, albeit to the nth degree, rather than trying to…
Joseph Sitt’s plan for Coney Island may not be quite as ambitious as the one Bruce Ratner has concocted for the Atlantic Yards, but so far Sitt’s appears to be a whole lot less contentious. Perhaps it’s because he’s trying to build on the area’s history, albeit to the nth degree, rather than trying to impose a vision that most locals don’t share. Or maybe it’s just because his project is not as far along, so the myriad community meetings and legal fights just haven’t begun yet. “My mission is to create a one-stop amusement complex that would have great rides and interesting retail,” Sitt has said. He’s already spent $100 million buying property in the four blocks south of Surf Avenue, from 12th to 15th Streets. And he’s already modified some of his plans based on community feedback. Our bet is that as long as he’s smart enough to show a lot of respect for the preservation of the old-time outfits like Nathan’s and Shoot the Freak that the rest will fall into place.
$1 Billion Revival Plan [NY Times]
Photo from New York Magazine
In that movie theater proposed above(which would most likely be a multiplex), they can reserve one auditorium to show Ken/Ric Burns’s documentary on Coney Island (on a loop) to give a flavor of what the place used to be…great historical context, and I think most people would appreciate it. And as a previous poster said, just leave out the poor elephants…
Coney Island is such an iconic fantasy- I think even young people today would understand it. Just look at the Mermaid Parade and the wide range of age groups. I’m with Brenda on Luna Park but it does seem that the developer also feels that the “Coney Island of the Mind” is a real plus. I love the old gritty parts, the remains of the old COney Island and hope they keep that as part of it all.
This would be HOT. Bring it.
It looks like Las Vegas meets the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Which isn’t really a bad thing, considering the history of fantasy in Coney Island.
I, too, hope they also save as much as possible of the best of the historical Coney Island, but I don’t think an entirely nostalgic park would be able to make enough money to sustain it well into the future. We middle aged and old geezers might like it, but we aren’t the ones who are going to spend the bulk of the money there, it’s the kids, who have no clue what we are all reminiscing about.
Wow that plan for Coney island will sure make it a year-round destination. I hope that it does gets built. No matter what it will look like aslong as it is new and modern looking. But please save some of the old historic stuff aswell.
Ah, those cursed poor people, ruining everything yet again, 12:36.
It was only a matter of time that their beach front property would be primo land again.
Where can we push them now? Floating housing barges?
Not really… take at look at other housing projects that are surrounded by gentrification. Those areas are booming and the area is getting all fix up.
What they need to do is built more luxury housing next to this crappy housing projects. That seems to help.
Unless the Public Housing units are converted into homeownership and crime is brought under control the NYCHA crowd will continue to dominate and depress CONEY ISLAND
Brenda from Flatbush: we share the same dream. I was at Coney Island on Monday saying exactly the same thing. I want it rebuilt but without the fires or electrocuting elephants.