Thor Gets Tough With The City

photo by rosemanios (Flickr.com)

All the hype in advertising what the glitzy new Coney Island will be, may all end up washed ashore before a single component even gets blue printed.

"The Coney Island project isn't a financially feasible investment", declares Lee Silberstein, spokesman for Thor Equities, " without the inclusion of high-rise housing along Stillwell Avenue just off the fabled seaside boardwalk", he adds.

The city and the economic development corporation are standing firm on their ground to protect Coney's amusement area. "Our priorities remain to preserve and enhance Coney Island's historic amusement area, make sure it stays open to the public and create economic opportunities for local residents - and we have serious concerns that a predominance of residential towers . . . would work against those goals." said a spokesman for the city's economic development corporation.

Thor doesn't want to hear it and has raised their hammer up to the city, threatening them with having them lose their biggest private investment in Coney's future. "Everybody wants Coney Island to be revitalized, and housing has got to be part of it," Silberstein told the New York Post.

As the Post reported:

Chuck Reichental, a member of the agency that will determine how Coney Island is rezoned, said a majority of residents opposes housing in the amusement district as well as any new development exceeding the height of the 262-foot landmark Parachute Jump

This may be the start of a battle between Thor and the city. The next few steps will show if the city will stand firmly in defence of amusements or yield to Thor Equities.

City Threat To Beach Coney Island Revamp [NY Post]

Fox Movietone Film from 1930

A nice little film to bring us back to the great summers experienced by the visitors of 1930's Coney. A warm reminder, especially now, during the middle of winter. If you're patient - towards the end of the video, you can see some more really rare images of some of the rides back then. Those wild rides and attractions were surely the thing that made Coney goers enthralled and fascinated with so much fun and excitement.

From Fox Movietone news film reels (Around the World in Sound and Picture on the Magic Carpet series)

"Meet Me Down at Coney Island (1930)" by dutchmazz [YouTube]

Coney Park HOOPLA !

Coney Island Park Has Sights Set on 2011 [Curbed]
Cyclone, Meet the Leviathan at Coney Island Park [Gothamist]
Gowanus Lounge Coney Island React-O-Matic [Gowanus Lounge]
Soaring Gondolas Coming to C I Park [Brooklyn Record]
Here's "Coney Island Park [Gowanus Lounge]

other Hoopla:
Coney Island [Erica's blog]
Coney Island [Travel Pod]
Coney PR Material From Thor Hitting Mailboxes [Gowanus Lounge]
Why Coney Island Won't Be Coney Island Anymore [Gowanus Lounge]

by CIUSA poster: Made_in_Coney78
Images:
Flickr: Coney Island by gregbrophy [Kidney Notes]

Video:
The New Coney Island - CW11 Channel 11 [YouTube]
Coney Island Film (Experimental) [YouTube]

Welcome To The New CONEY ISLAND PARK

ASTROLAND TO TURN INTO CONEY ISLAND PARK
UNDER THE BOARDWALK DIPS "Leviathan" THE FLAGSHIP 100 FOOT TALL LOOP-DE-LOOP COASTER

2011 is the year slated for the opening of Coney Island Park - the 250 million dollar amusement area double the size of Astroland. The new 6-acre amusement park being drawn up by ThinkWell Design & Production will boast 21 rides, a man-made canal for boat rides, a glass-encased atrium with commercial space and a hotel.

"Whatever you come looking for at Coney Island, it's all going to be there", said Chris Durmick, creative director of Thinkwell Design.

Included with the Cyclone and the Leviathan will be a third coaster: the Aviator which would soar 120 feet (with gondolas guided individually by hand-held joysticks), according to the Daily News exclusive report which also states:

Coney Island Park, would be one component of a 13-acre, $1.5 billion plan by Thor that includes an indoor water park and residential, retail and entertainment components.

"We're trying to deliver on the promise of what Coney Island is," added Durmick.

Attention will now be on ThinkWell as we eagerly await and see what specific plans they will conjure up. With this new report Thor seems to have gained many points to their side. Let's hope Thor and company keep the promise and integrity of the importance of the amusements in Coney.

______________________________________________________

Will it be Coney Island Park or Coney Park as shown in the smaller picture above, depicting a main entrance? (Despite the fact that Thor has stated in the past that this will not be a gated park) Well, there already is a Coney Island Park - in Ohio which boasts their more than 50 rides and attractions and one giant pool.

B'klyn fun park,by power of Thor [NY Daily News]

Kinetoscope Video "Coney's Winter Lull"

A quiet cold winter day at Coney Island.

The first in a series of Kinetic Carnival's Kinetoscope videos.

remember to turn up the volume

Winter HOOPLA !

Coney Island In Mono [Waxidermy board]
Coney Island's Future to be Determined by Late Spring? [Gowanus Lounge]
Coney Island, Winter [Dave Beckerman Photograph board]
Ya, not much to smile about in Coney Island [John Pond blogspot]
The New Coney [Queens Crap]
Membership Closed for Coney Island Polar Bears [Brooklyn Record]

Fun House: Coney Island Fanatic Turns His Basement Into The boardwalk [NY Post]

Coney's Muscle Beach For Lightweights

Sitting useless in the cold howling winds of the Coney beach rests the Parcourse Fitcenter installed somewhat recently by GameTime. Though it's nice to see something fairly new at the beach, it seems anything that really gets done here is sports related. From Keyspan park to the coming new 40,000-square-foot fitness complex operated by the YMCA, including an aquatic center, a gymnasium, a six-lane indoor pool, as well as meeting rooms and office space. The complex which will, of course, be part of the residential 'component' is slated to be completed by the summer of 2009.

However, it is fair to say that physical activity has always been a part of Coney. Charles Atlas even had his inspiration at Coney, which glamorized fitness by mythologizing an experience he'd had as a teenager on a Coney Island beach - when a bully had kicked sand in his face.

Surf N' Turf on Surf

A new seafood restaurant is to open this spring on Surf Avenue in Coney Island next to the Shore Theater.

Many smaller storefronts are opening up in Coney despite the talk of big master plans that seem to describe combining the parcels of lots together for larger developement. However, now it seems that the plans are calling for big enough development that will just sit within the bounderies already established by the streets of the amusement district.

The HOOPLA Continues !

Ferry Will Speed To Coney Island From the Battery [NY Sun]
The Yellow Submarine of Coney Island Creek [Forgotten NY]

Coney Signs [Forgotten NY]
Brooklyn: Coney Island and Brighton Beach by Mindfuzz [LiveJournal]

Floating Visions of New Coney Island [NY Daily News]

Gowanus Lounge

Filling Out the Coney Island Vision

Mapping Out the New Coney Island

Homegrown Brooklyn Weed: Sex-Crazing Drug Menace in Coney Island and Dumbo
Brooklyn Losing Landmarks Left and Right
Sitt Happens: Meet Brooklyn's Demolition Man
Coney Island Update: Send in the Clowns

Video
Aerial View of Coney Island Beach Circa 1991 [YouTube]
1969 Coney Island Home Movie Fun House and More [YouTube]

on break.....will be back real soon!

photo by jayhoc (Flickr.com)

City Moving Slow On Thor's Rezoning Wishes

Image from CIDC website

According to reports in the Courier Life, Thor has already submitted a master plan to the city a while ago. But the city is taking their sweet time in deciding what they want to rezone and not. However, a preliminary comprehensive rezoning is expected to take place this coming spring. And while the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and the Uniform Land Use Review (ULURP) proceedings are taking place, there will be a hearing for public comment.

Thor Equities who’s been meeting with city officials and the Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC), says that the city has studied their plans, which they submitted over a year ago, and they had hoped that the city, which has been extremely slow, would have made their response by now

“The city’s in control. We then fill in the blanks. We’ve done our master plan work, but we’ll have to modify to fit in with what the city does,” they added.

The city's lack for a quicker response may be due to the fact that two key people have left their positions with the city.

As Courier Life reported:

These include Josh Sirefman, who under Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff spearheaded the city’s initiative to redevelop Coney Island, and Regina Myer, who served as the Department of City Planning Brooklyn Borough Director. While a replacement for Sirefman has not been named yet, Purnima Kapur, the former Planning Department director of the Bronx, has already replaced Myer. “Ms. Kapur has been actively looking at it [Coney Island], as has been Amanda Burden [City Planning director] to evaluate the approaches and preserve the amusement character and help it to evolve to a year-round destination with increased economic opportunity and a mix of uses appropriate to the area,” said City Planning spokesperson Rachaele Raynoff. ……

……. Silberstein said, "The time the public gets to review a plan like that is in the ULURP [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure] process. We want it to be in the ULURP process already. We were hoping that we would have been certified with the ULURP already. We were hoping they would have finished a year ago already …….

…… In terms of residential, our goal is not necessarily just year-round residents …...

…… A lot of our residential we hope are going to be folks on time share, folks that come and buy like two weeks out of the year and/or some second homeowners like they do at a lot of resort and vacation spots, but the biggest part that make up where people sleep is going to be the transient folks — people who sleep in the hotels and/or the time shares, as an example. There’s no rule that says sorry, you are too wealthy to come visit Coney Island and sleep in a hotel. Part of democracy is you want anybody at any income level to welcome them to be able to sleep in Coney Island.

In keeping with his promise for job developments, Sitt has hired someone who will focus on job development and other job programs for Coney. “That is earlier than any developer that I know of. We don’t even have a defined project yet. We certainly don’t have zoning yet and Joe is willing to invest and start creating and developing a jobs program so that the jobs created by the Coney Island project stay in the community”, says Silberstein. “That is an enormous commitment to the community early on.”, he concluded.


‘Springtime’ for Coney rezone [Courier Life]
Q & A with Coney Island mega-developer [Courier Life]

Year-End HOOPLA !

photo by Harbor Arts (Flickr.com)

Eatery May Be Coney Housing [NY Post]
Sitt's Next Coney Island Target: Gargiulo's Restaurant [Gowanus Lounge]
Sitt Won't Be Eating Italian in Coney After All [Gowanus Lounge]
James Brown Jr at Cha Cha’s Coney Island [Coney Island ShortCakes]
Coney Island Update: Send in the Clowns [Gowanus Lounge]
Sitt Happens: Meet Brooklyn's Demolition Man [Gowanus Lounge]

Homegrown Brooklyn Weed: Sex-Crazing Drug Menace in Coney Island and Dumbo [Gowanus Lounge]

More Coney year-end wrap-ups from Gowanus Lounge:

Gowanus Lounge gives good cheers for 'best new ideas and things' to the ligthing of the Parachute Jump; calling it subtle but "we love it". Also to the NY Aquarium makeover calling them excellent visions..."let's get on with it".

As for some of the top 2007 Brooklyn Development Battles, GL points to Sitt and Company; "Will Mr. Sitt get his way? Or will the community have a say? Stay tuned"

Among the most threatened Brooklyn Landmarks, GL speculates about the Wonder Wheel. "Protected in theory, but a sneak attack by Thor Equities is not out of the question".

As part of the top ten stories GL states the following excerpt: "Coney Island Plan/Sale of Astroland. Developer Joe Sitt's plans for Coney Island continued to develop with a number of iterations making the rounds in 2006. Most significantly, Mr. Sitt purchased Astroland, which will close at the end of the 2007 season, and began the process of evicting tenants on land he's already bought, making 2006 the last year before a long period of demolition, emptiness and construction. It remained very difficult to know what to make of the Coney plan, although Thor is best known as a developer of urban shopping centers and its Coney plan includes up to four 40-story highrises along the boardwalk."

And finally Kinetic Carnival is proud to be considered by GL as one of the top new Brooklyn blogs of 2006


And excerpt from the Daily News from their Brooklyn 2006: Pictures, places and people to remember
Coney's last ride
It was the end of an era for coney island and its ragtag, honky-tonk flavor as developer thor equities began squeezing out longtime tenants of the amusement mecca. first, more than a dozen businesses, including the owners of batting cages, go-carts and carny games, were told to pack up by the end of the year. But tempers really flared in November when the owners of Astroland, the neighborhood's oldest and largest park, announced they had sold the 3-acre site to thor.
by Jotham Sederstrom

Heroes, villains & a big stink [NY DailyNews]

Thor May Bring The Circus To Town......Year-Round!

According to various reports as stated in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Thor Equities has been in talks with The Big Apple Circus. Philip Thurton, public relations manager for Big Apple Circus said, “They [Thor] approached us. We’ve had a couple of talks — you could call them preliminary talks — but there is no plan. Nothing has been decided.”

Circuses were always part of Coney in one way or another. Small ones were held in Steeplechase and Luna Parks. Upon hearing that Thor wants to bring a circus back to Coney Island, CIUSA curator/CIDC board member, Dick Zigun said, “That’s terrific. I love it.”

In addition to The Big Apple Circus, and according to various sources as of which has not yet been confirmed Thor has not only communicated with Viacom's Nickelodeon but Disney as well.

If any of this is true, then it seems that Sitt and Thor Equities must be a bit confused in what to make of Coney's new amusement "extension". Earlier in the year they hired Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects to help transform ten acres along the boardwalk - culminating in a series of renderings released throughout the summer depicting a flashy stretch of Coney main-street at the foot of high towers. Later hiding the towers and throwing in a weaving generic roller coaster. Then there were preliminary talks with kid network Nickelodeon about the family resort that was declined for Governor's Island. Now, just last week it seems the slate has been erased (for the amusement "extension") for something different when Thor announced in a Community Board 13 meeting that hey hired a top amusement designer and producer, ThinkWell to conjure up a new dream for Coney. What, if any, talks with Disney is taking place surely seems far fetched. Especially since there is little room to play with when it comes to anything Disney - except for retail or a single attraction.

With all the probing for partners and artist consulting Thor is doing, nothing definite yet seems to be shaping up. And that's perhaps because Thor yet doesn't know how the ground under them will shape up to be. The city still needs to approve the rezoning needed as part of the Coney Island Development Corporation’s (CIDC) effort to convert Coney into a year-round destination. “Until Thor gets the city approval, no one is ready to put down money or commit yet,” said Jake Lynn, a representative for Thor Equities. The property owned by Thor is zoned for low-density commercial and outdoor amusements only and not for high rises to be built on as hotels or condos - the components Thor keeps pressing is needed for revenue and year-round possibilities. And perhaps a component many are now beginning to accept as making sense.

The main worry has been whether Thor's intentions are for the benefit of Coney's past, present, and future spirit.


Thor in Talks with Big Apple Circus;Could Bring Big Top Back to Coney [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
Can see full article here on CIUSA bulletin board (Courtesy of Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

Thor Hires Entertainment Design Firm

Things may be starting to look brighter now that Thor has called upon the imagineers to do the dream work. It's a matter of time before the release of some concrete master planning. Hopefully, they will inspire and enthrall us!

In an Economic Development Committee meeting held last week at Community Board 13 many leading local civic leaders gathered and asked questions that have been looming amongst Thor skeptics at their Coney redoing.

Thor Equities spokesperson Lee Silberstein announced that they have retained one of the world’s foremost destination designers and producers to help make their Coney amusements the state-of-the-art, year-round destination they have been proposing.

First up, as soon as the 2007 summer season ends, will be an aesthetically appealing fence around the future amusement site in preps for construction and taking the advantage to create promotion and buzz.

Courier Life reported:

The firm, ThinkWell Design and Productions, envisions, develops and manages some of the top theme parks, museums, sports franchises, casinos and hotels in the world. Among its clients are Universal Studios in Japan and Florida and Cirque de Soleil worldwide.

Among the key questions on everybody’s lips for Silberstein was Thor’s plan for residential housing on the amusement area site which is all currently zoned C-7, meaning for amusements only. Silberstein responded that a limited amount – hundreds and not thousands -- of residential units would be developed on a new street tentatively called Front Street between the Bowery and the Boardwalk. The housing component is important for a 365-day, 24/7 district for the same reason it is being utilized in the Brooklyn Bridge Park development – to help pay for the project.

Silberstein also argued that the residential could be strong enough to help pay for some of the amusement area that won’t pay for itself. “You cannot build roller coasters, carousels and indoor water parks in an urban setting and expect it to generate enough revenue to pay for itself,” said Silberstein. “If it did I don’t think Coney Island would be in the position it is in today.”

Skeptics at the meeting inquired what kind of people would want to live in the middle of an area that has 250,000 people flooding the area on a hot summer day. Silberstein responded that many people love living in the heart of everything such as Times Square. “If we’re wrong about that, then we got the problem,” he said.

Another person at the meeting asked about the height of any development, stating nothing should be talker than the Parachute Jump, the Wonder Wheel or the Cyclone, which are all Coney Island landmarks.
Silberstein responded that such thinking goes against the very nature of Coney Island where amusement developers were always doing bigger, better and brasher. “If people have an attitude that height was a problem, the Parachute Jump would have never been built,” he said. Silberstein did say that any design would allow for view corridors of the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Parachute Jump. Silberstein did not have any date when an actual project plan would be submitted, which the
city could then act on and begin a rezoning process.

Though Deno’s Wonder Wheel co-owner Dennis Vourderis has been dubious about the residential components, it seems he is starting to sway in favor of it - as probably most of the public will – that residential and retail is needed as a supplement to the amusements since the amusements can not support the project on their own. Though Thor is always calling it ‘an extension’ of the amusements, let’s hope they really don’t intend it as amusements being the extension of the residential.

It also looks like they mean to go high. As for those desiring to live in a Times Square setting - They'd most likey rather be on the higher floors, well away from the noise. So, it seems that the luxury high rises are their intentions.

Now it’s up to ThinkWell to start dreaming up the future of Coney.

Coney Set For Theme Pk Stamp - Top Designers Tapped to Reimagine ‘People’s Playground’ [Courier Life]

The Other Player On The Boardwalk To Dish It Out At The New Child’s Restaurant

Joe Sitt and his Thor Equities will be joined on the boardwalk by Charles Bendit and his Taconic Investment Partners. Having done recent business together they will be doing further business side by side in the New Coney. The only thing between them will be the Cyclone Stadium. Taconic, a real estate investment firm with properties across the country, recently acquired two important parcels west of the stadium: the lot next the park and the Child’s Restaurant building.

As reported by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

Taconic signed a 49-year lease for the Child’s two-story building with an open-air mezzanine in August, with the option to extend the lease or purchase the property if the landlord decides to sell. That same month, the company acquired from the City Investment Fund, at no recorded cost, the 168,000-square-foot lot across the street, where the Washington Bathhouse once stood.

“We are developing our plan for Child’s right now,” said Bendit, co-founder of Taconic. “I think ultimately, we’d like to restore it to what it once was, which was a food-type enterprise,” with possibilities including a combination of a restaurant, market and catering service. “I think [plans for the lot] are really going to be predicated on what the EDC and the city come up with.” Bendit added that he didn’t want to go into specifics about Taconic’s wishes for the site before the city made its final zoning determinations. But according to Recchia, housing is definitely on the table.

The Fund bought the lot in June for $90 million from Thor Equities — $77 million more than Thor had paid for the property only a year earlier. The move has been criticized by some locals as a sign that Thor CEO Joseph Sitt also intends to flip the 13 acres he’s been buying up between KeySpan Park and the New York Aquarium.

Founded in 1997, Taconic Investment Partners is a fully integrated real estate investment company that acquires office and multifamily properties. The firm also manages its own properties and provides asset and property management, leasing and financial reporting services.

Developer To Resurrect Once-Thriving Coney Landmark [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]

(can see full article here on CIUSA BBS {Courtesy of Brooklyn Daily Eagle}

InTENT For Year-Round Amusements?

The city may be intent, on forcing...uhum...rather encouraging any amusement operators to go year-round.....or sell - but how and how much? The how much is obviously too much (An option even too steep for the Astroland's Albert family) and the how has not exactly been explained by the developer that claims everything will be year-round by 2012 or so. Perhaps one solution is a plan going up in Central Asia.

Found on Gowanus Lounge and originally reported on BBC News; A 500 foot tent or dome is planned for Astana, capital of Kasakhstan and designed by UK architect Norman Foster. The tent which will be made of special material that absorbs sunlight to create the effect of summer inside it will be built in just over a year.
BBC reports:

Underneath, in an area larger than 10 football stadiums, will be a city
with squares and cobbled streets, canals, shopping centres and golf courses.
The idea is to recreate summer, so that when the outside temperature is
-30C, the residents of the Kazakh capital can play outdoor tennis, take boat
rides or sip coffee on the pavement cafes.
Called Khan Shatyry, the project
is designed by Lord Foster, who has recently built a giant glass pyramid in
Astana.
"Nothing of the sort has been done before, and from the engineering
point of view it's an extremely difficult project," says Fettah Tamince, the
head of Turkey's development company Sembol that is building the tent.
Mr
Tamince is nevertheless confident the company can complete the construction in
just 12 months.

The architect firm further explains what Khan Shatyry will do for the city of Astana:

Held by a mast, the vast tent-like cable net structure is clad in ETFE, a
material that allows light to wash the interior spaces while sheltering them
from extreme weather conditions. A park steps up the height of the building in
undulating terraces providing public space and green oases for the visitors. A
tropical water park weaves its way through the landscape and its wave pools,
river and waterfall are lit by roof lights that are seamlessly integrated into
the design. The highest terrace is a viewing deck which will offer dramatic
views over the park.At the core of the building is a large flexible space that
will form the cultural hub of the centre, accommodating a varied programme of
events and exhibitions. Complemented by 40,000sqm of retail space with a wide
range of cafes, restaurants and cinemas, as well as ample covered car park
facilities, the Khan Shatyry will offer leisure facilities for all.

So far, Thor equities has not shown any visual plans on anything year-round. All the renderings, so far, have only shown activities for the outdoors. It would be interesting to see what the big developer in Coney comes up with to make their amusements year-round - without it all being housed indoors. Otherwise the New Coney may still end up as a seasonal destination to visit during the winter and leave the summers for the outdoor.

Then again, with all those beach goers on the Coney beach - Thor may still get their audience to come on up and step inside!

Lord Foster's Kazakhstan Plan Would Make Coney Year-Round Attraction [Gowanus Lounge]
Giant tent to be built in Astana [BBC News]

Recent HOOPLA !

Photo by Mrs Smarty Pants (Flickr.com)

Coney Under Thor’s Hammer [Courier Life]
Deno’s Makes Pitch to Keep the ‘Wonder’ In Coney [Courier Life]
Is Wonder Wheel Next Coney Shoe to Drop? [Gowanus Lounge]
Does Thor Suck as Much as Forest City Ratner? [Gowanus Lounge]

Still Image:
Seriously excited! a story, in a few words
Dear Gothamist: Astroland Meets Planet of the Apes [Gothamist]

Moving Image:
Rube and Mandy at Coney Island: Edison Film Archive 1903 [Google Video]
NYCTV Blueprint: New York City, Coney Island [Google Video]
1983 Commercial for Cyclone "Back-Fire" [Google Video]

Vintage Coney Color-Film Gems

Great new Coney vintage film clips in full color found through Getty Images on Google Video. A Coney visitor in the 40's filmed these short footages probably on a Bolex or other 8 millimeter color film. They are probably rare and, so far, have not been seen on any other documentary of Coney that is known to be released. It would be interesting to know if there is more footage circulating around in someone's libary.

Here are the LINKS to 22 very short film clips of stock footage.
1940's Color film (No sound)

Enjoy !

Low angle Parachute Jump and old ferris wheel

High angle of parachute going down near boardwalk

CANTED low angle of looping rocket ride

Low angle of people on rocket ride passing camera

PAN two subway trains entering + leaving Coney Island

Low angle of parachute going up People on an old ferris wheel sweeping passed camera

Close up of people on amusement park ride in Coney Part I

Close up of people on amusement park ride in Coney Part II

People on roller coaster passing passing by

Wide shot of large Wonder Wheel

People riding Tilt-a-Whirl

High angle of looping swinging ride

Low angle of parachute with couple going up and coming down on ride

Wide shot of people riding swing ride inside Steeplechase Pavilion of Fun Part I

Wide shot of people riding swing ride inside Steeplechase Pavilion of Fun Part II

Low angle tilt down of parachute Jump ride

Roller coaster point of view uphill and downhill (notice Trump building not there yet)

Women's skirts blow up as they exit fun house (though can't see skirt blowing up)

High angle of people on revolving Rocket ride passing by

People on Flying Scooter ride passing by

High angle wide shot of revolving Rocket ride