Coney Island (Luna Park / Deno's) Development Discussion Thread

Hey, if it comes as far as the Gold Coast, that's good enough for Australians! It would be really great if it was located along the beachfront of Surfers Paradise.

You DO have Luna Park. Ok, that's not going to be as good as an Astroland/Cyclone combo but the GC is a logical spot for a boardwalk park and we don't have one of those yet.

^Luna Park Sydney is very desolate, not much there. It used to be fun before the ghost train fire, I only went a few times as a little kid but I have vivid memories.

It would be nice to add Coney Islands rides at Luna Park Sydney but that place is ruled by developers waiting for the state government to cave in and let them build high rises.

_____________________________________________________

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/nyregion/12coney.html

After a year of ultimatums, threats and stop-and-go negotiations, the Bloomberg administration has agreed to pay $95.6 million to a developer for seven acres in the heart of Coney Island, in a crucial step forward for its vision of turning the faded and dormant seaside amusement district into a glittering destination reminiscent of its heyday, according to executives on both sides of the negotiations.

The city’s deal with the developer, Joseph J. Sitt, capped a long standoff between the two sides, with each claiming it had the best plan for the revival of the fabled playground, but neither able to bring those plans to fruition in a deadly real estate market.

The city will announce the deal on Thursday, but the reality of a revived Coney Island remains a long way off.

Mr. Sitt began buying land in Coney Island in 2005, promising a modern, Las Vegas-style resort with hotels and condominiums among the rides. Today, much of the land sits vacant. While the Cyclone roller coaster, the Wonder Wheel and Nathan’s hot dog stand remain, the Thunderbolt, Child’s restaurant and even the Astroland amusement park are gone — cleared away for new ventures that were never built.

More if you click the link to the article above.

I think I speak for everyone when I say...

FINALLY!!

I'll believe it when I see some groundbreaking.

The Coney Island fiasco has gone on a bit too long for me to rely on things like this to stoke my hope, but maybe this will prove me wrong.

Sounds interesting, and hopefully the development finally gets built. Although with how long it has taken to get here, I'm sure that if the project does end up getting built, that it will go through several more changes. That being said, I still have my doubts that this project will ever be completed.

This is good news, it is a place I have always wanted to visit/get mugged at.

Mike Bloomberg rocks!

I remember a long long time ago reading about this and looking it up on google and it looked amazing. Here is what I found that was envisioned for the park.

I hope this does go into effect. I enjoyed my few visits to Coney Island & think the place could some new life!

^ That would be amazing. However that red coaster would be the star attractiona nd not the Cyclone. I don't like that too much.

I really hope this goes through. I went to Coney for the first time back in August. The place just screams of needing some love.

^ That would be amazing. However that red coaster would be the star attractiona nd not the Cyclone. I don't like that too much.

I think that giant red rollercoaster will be a great rollercoaster, but i does not fit in a classic amusement park like Coney Island.

Coney Island only needs the classic rollercoasters like Thunderbolt and the classic amusement rides.

I think the trick to make this successful will be to find the balance between the old school charm with the "I feel safe to go here" which is missing today. There are a few boardwalk areas that have found this balance and have continued to be successful and hopefully Coney Island will find that!

Found some recent developments.

This one is the most recent, and talks about how there are about 50 companies bidding.

Coney island Bidding

This one is interesting, but is more of a "what it can become" scenario.

Possible Rides

^ From what I read they are really wanting to modernize the area. I'm cool with those ideas, I hope they work the area in such away that it becomes a modern classic area.

I do believe there is a way to mix the classic with modern without killing the spotlight on the Cyclone.

City Near Deal for New Coney Island Operator

By CHARLES V. BAGLI

Updated, 3:06 p.m.| It looks like Coney Island will not go without a whirling, clanging amusement park and a crop of new rides for the first time in more than a century as many had feared. The city’s Economic Development Corporation is negotiating a lease with an amusement park operator, Zamperla USA, for six vacant acres in the heart of what has been the amusement district, between Surf Avenue and the ocean.

It is not a done deal, but city officials are hopeful that they can make an announcement as soon as next week that Zamperla has signed a contract to operate in Coney Island for up to 10 years. The negotiations were first reported by NY1 News.

Coney Island boosters and some community groups had worried that the waterfront district would become a dead zone this summer. Last November, the city agreed to pay $95.6 million for roughly six acres owned by the developer Joseph J. Sitt, who had spent a fortune buying land in the area and developing a proposal to revive the fabled playground that competed with the city’s vision.

But prior to that deal, Mr. Sitt had closed the Astroland amusement park and evicted many of the tenants. The city solicited bids from operators in November and got a handful of responses. It now appears that it will have an operator in place soon.

An executive at Zamperla’s office in New Jersey said the company had been instructed to refer all calls to the city’s development agency.

David Lombino, a spokesman for the development agency, conceded that the city was “closing in on an agreement with an operator for an expanded outdoor amusement park that will be open to the public starting this summer.” He declined to go into detail.

But even some critics of the city’s plans were cautiously optimistic about the pending deal.

“They’re an outstanding company,” Dick Zigun, executive director of Coney Island USA, which conducts the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, said of Zamperla. “They would be my choice. I’m hopeful that come Memorial Day, Coney Island will have more rides than we’ve seen in the past decade.”

Zamperla USA is the American wing of an Italian company that is known more as the largest manufacturer of amusement park rides, everything from kiddie rides to sophisticated roller coasters and other thrill rides, than as an amusement park operator. The company usually has the largest single booth at the annual meeting of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Its products, like the Zodiac, which has seats mounted on a spinning disk at the top of a tower, show up at amusement parks all over the world.

Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, whose district includes Coney Island, said that Zamperla had submitted a creative proposal that set it apart from the other bidders. “You’ll love it,” he said, declining to give details. “We’ll have what the bigger amusement parks have, on a smaller scale.”

Zamperla operates the Victorian Gardens at Wollman Rink in Central Park, as well as Minitalia Leolandia Amusement Park in Capriate San Vervasio, Italy. Valerio Ferrari, the president of Zamperla USA, was a member of a city-sponsored advisory panel last year that made a series of recommendations concerning the redevelopment of Coney Island’s amusement area.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/coney-island-gets-new-operator/

http://www.ny1.com/7-brooklyn-news-content/top_stories/112303/-i-ny1-exclusive---i--city-names-coney-island-amusement-operator

The city has chosen Italian-based company Zamperla USA to become the new amusement park operator for Coney Island.

Zamperla USA was named the new amusement park operator for Coney Island Tuesday.

 

The company was among several others vying for the operating rights, including Ripley's Believe or Not and Steel Pier.

 

Contenders for the rights had to submit proposals, which included developing at one of the three parcels of land between the former Astroland site and KeySpan Park.

 

Sources say Zamperla's plan included developing all three.

 

City officials want the rides up and running by this summer.

 

The city acquired the land from developer Joe Sitt last month.

 

Zamperla is an Italian company and is one of the largest manufactures of amusement rides in the world with its American headquarters based out of Parsippany, New Jersey.

It's probably just me, but I think a "Las Vegas style" restort feels a bit out of place... in Brooklyn I mean. Clean it up and modernize it a little, but if it turns into Disnyworld then I wouldn't be too interested in the place.

The "vision" looks nice though.

What "vision" are you talking about, DE?

^

When I was at Coney Island over the summer (July 4th to be exact), the whole area did look lie in was in desperate need of some TLC. There were some public areas, like in the bathrooms for the beach, that were downright grungy. Plus the whole time I was there with my family, I was holding my purse as close to me as possible, because I was so worried about getting something stolen, moreso than in any other part of New York.

On the other hand, I think the best part of my day day was getting my Cyclone credit. I thought that was definitely a fun ride.

I think I would even appreciate a Volaire at Coney if they have a spare one sitting around. I know the city wants them to get things put in place quickly. I know there's one at Rye but I would appreciate another coaster credit to get. Motocoaster would be awesome, even a Wild Mouse.

Glad to see some long overdue development in this whole Coney Island ordeal. As long as Zamperla keeps the original, classic theme of the area and combines just the right amount of new and more exciting rides and entertainment, they can make Coney Island a really big hot spot once again.

And I still can't believe I'm defending a park in which the only time I ever went, my beloved iPod was stolen from my car.

This might be a silly question, but has Zamprela ever *run* a park before? I looked on their website and it has a brief blurb about "management" but no specifics and I can't remember hearing about them doing more beyond park design.