With the 2009 summer season around the corner, it looks like the Thor empty lots will be part flea joint and part nothing. There are no talks coming from them as they promised "Amusements galore" for Coney in '09. As the city's plan moves forward after Community Board 13 voted 'yes' on it but with many stipulations, many worry that in the interim, Coney could suffer a huge drop in attendance for the summer. Many options will still be available in Coney, but Thor, who owns about 10.5 acres seems to be stalling.
Crain's New York writes:
Thor Equities, which owns a total of 10.5 acres on Coney Island, including the Astroland site, is fighting the city's redevelopment plan. The company insists that it will fill the void left by Astroland by bringing in some sort of amusements, but details are sketchy. Meanwhile, local politicians and businessmen alike are becoming anxious.
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Community leaders maintain that even without Astroland, the area will have plenty to offer this summer.
There is hope that Coney will still somewhat thrive, but with having to constantly remind people last year, attendance was still low. This year, with Astroland gone, Coney Island could be facing their lowest attendance in decades.
1 comment:
I'm sure that Thor would love to see attendance down. Probably would make things easier for them. But there are still many things to see and do, not to mention just enjoying the boardwalk and the beach.
We should all show up there, week after week, support the remaining businesses, and leave the message that we want Coney to stay.
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