Fox 5 News: Eyewitness News at 10:00
Friday, August 22, 2008
Transcript:
ERNIE ANASTOS, co-anchor: Tonight, the fight to save Coney Island is really heating up.
DARI ALEXANDER, co-anchor: At issue: a plan for private developers to bring new housing to the area.
ANASTOS: FOX 5’s Rob Malcolm was on Coney Island with plans and the reaction.
ROB MALCOLM reporting:
Ms. LYNN KELLY (Coney Island Development Corporation): I think if you ask anyone, no one wants to see it lost. There may be discussions about how it’s redeveloped and that’s fine, but ultimately we need to make sure that it’s still here, period.
MALCOLM: Lynn Kelly is the president of the Coney Island Development Corporation. She says the only thing possible to ensure that Coney Island remains a popular destination for kids, families and tourists is a rezoning plan. That plan includes new rides, better protection for the amusement area, and community benefits such as new housing. It’s something the Bloomberg administration likes, but it’s something that may never happen.
Ms. KELLY: All these things which are benefits to the area are at risk right now if the zoning doesn’t go through.
MALCOLM: But already a developer has started buying up parcels of land, including Astroland. In a last minute deal, the park remained open for the summer, but it will close on Labor Day. Some worry that at least half an acre of land will end up vacant and luxury condos will soon replace the Boardwalk, making way for high-rise hotels and luxury apartments. Getting rezoned while under the current city administration only makes sense for those who remember what Coney Island used to be and can be in the future.
Ms. KELLY: If we get the zoning done we can protect the amusements and we can protect Coney Island and we can make sure that the Boardwalk is populated for another hundred years.
ANASTOS: And that was Rob Malcolm reporting tonight.
