Thor Equities, led by a shopping mall magnate with no experience in amusements, had bought most of the property currently zoned for amusements, including Astroland Park. Thor proposed high-rise hotels, apartments and commercial establishments for land where rides now sit. Since that would have gutted the amusement area's future, outrage echoed from Coney Island to City Hall, and Thor was forced to back off.

The CIDC developed its own master plan. Four years of public hearings and hard negotiating led to a plan that didn't make everyone happy, but protected the core amusement area.

That plan directed most high-rise development west of KeySpan Park and north of Surf Ave., allowing one high-rise east of KeySpan where the Thunderbolt roller coaster once stood, and across from Nathan's.

That was a bitter pill for many locals, including myself, but it was accepted as the most realistic compromise.

Then suddenly, the city presented a new plan with no hearings, no public input and not even an opportunity for directors of the CIDC to discuss it. The new plan, the focus of the June 24 hearing at 6 p.m. at Lincoln High School, would allow four hotel towers south of Surf Ave. in the amusement area, including one that would block the view of the landmarked Wonder Wheel from the subway.

It's awkward for me to criticize a plan pushed by some of the same people who have supported our own nonprofit activities, but right is right. We've been told that it's this or nothing.

One way to illustrate the changes is the proposed fate of the 48 acres in the current amusement core, including 34 acres which now sit vacant. The original CIDC plan would have expanded amusements by an acre, and allowed hotel and entertainment retail on another 35. The new plan cuts 5 acres out of outdoor amusements, and sets aside 6 more for hotels and entertainment retail.

Thanks for posting this. I've been sending my father occasional updates on what's going on in Coney Island and this is a good summary of the present (crappy) situation.

Myron wrote on Jun 19^th, 2008, 8:31am:


Exactly. Today's Times Sq. makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of C.I. being turned into something like that makes me sicker still.