Someone needs to get tough here. Bloomberg unveils Coney Island plan November 08. 2007 3:32PMBy: Kira Bindrim
Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday unveiled a rezoning plan for Coney Island that would create a 15-acre outdoor amusement park and edge out property owner Thor Equities, which wants to build condominiums and time-shares -- a $1.5 billion project that would also require rezoning. Mr. Bloomberg's 47-acre rezoning would divide Coney Island into three development zones surrounding Keyspan Park. Coney Island North would contain 1,800 residential units and 100,000 square feet of retail space, while Coney Island West would include 2,700 units of housing and up to 360,000 square feet of retail. The real changes lie in Coney Island East, a 21-acre segment of land owned primarily by Joseph Sitt's Thor Equities. The city's plan would zone Coney East for amusements, hotels and restaurants, thwarting Mr. Sitt's plans to build condominiums and time-shares in addition to amusements. But Mr. Bloomberg will have to get approval from the state legislature, and acquire the land from Mr. Sitt through a cash or land swap deal. Only then could the city issue its request to developers for proposals to build the amusement park. If Mr. Sitt doesn't cooperate, he would be entitled to rebuild his lots according to present zoning rules, which prohibit condo and time-share developments. "We're disappointed by the mayor's presentations, but are optimistic that a deal can be reached between the city, the landowners and the community to make Coney Island an even greater place to live and visit," Mr. Sitt said in a statement. City planners anticipate a 12- to 18-month rezoning process, which will include public hearings. Construction could start by mid-2009, and could take up to 20 years to complete. "Just imagine the economic impact on this community if a new, revitalized Coney Island, with its exciting new attractions, could hold just a fraction of our city's 44 million annual visitors," Mr. Bloomberg said during a press conference at Coney Island's Gargiulo's Restaurant. Mr. Sitt's development plan was never without controversy. City officials had said his design for an enclosed amusement park seemed more like a shopping mall, and community leaders complained about the allocation of seaside locations to residences instead of amusements. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/