City Purchases Part of Proposed Parkland in Amusement Area
October 22, 2008
NYCEDC has announced the City's purchase of a key one-acre parcel along the Boardwalk. This purchase - which was characterized in the press as "a step closer to the Bloomberg administration's plans to retain the historic character of Coney Island" and hailed in the blogs as "a huge development" - will ensure that the property now housing Deno's Wonder Wheel Park will become part of a permanently protected amusement zone under the City's proposed Coney Island rezoning.
As you can see from the attached EDC press release and news clips from The New York Times and The Brooklyn Paper, the purchase of the Ward property is just the first of what are expected to be a series of land acquisitions in the coming year as the City proceeds with its vision to create a 21st century, year-round entertainment destination and protect Coney Island's amusement legacy in perpetuity. For far too long, Coney Island has suffered from the lack of private investment in new amusements and has seen the ongoing closure and demolition of many long-standing amusement destinations. The City's strategic decision to map the historical amusement area as parkland and then develop a world-class amusement park is the only way to ensure Coney Island's legacy for generations to come, and last week's positive news shows that we're definitely headed on the path toward success.
In fact, this announcement is especially timely, as the Coney Island Development Corporation in concert with the City is beginning to lay the groundwork for the eventual development of an amusement park Request for Proposals (RFP) and will be attending the world's preeminent amusement industry convention next month. CIDC will have a booth at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo 2008 in Orlando and we will be actively seeking information and making industry contacts that will inform our efforts to develop a new amusement destination truly worthy of the name "Coney Island."
