Is the ride at Coney Island really over this time?

[GAcoaster]

From the Associated Press:

 

Is the ride at Coney Island really over this time?

 

By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer Tue Sep 2, 10:21 AM ET

 

NEW YORK - The end of this summer could mark the end of Coney Island's historic Astroland amusement park. But years of back-and-forth bickering among a developer, city officials and ride operators over the park's future leaves residents wondering — is the closure threat real this time?

 

The owner of Astroland, near the Brooklyn boardwalk, says she'll shut down Sunday for good if the landowner doesn't offer a two-year lease. Carol Albert, who sold the land in 2006 to Joseph Sitt's Thor Equities, says park employees need more job security.

 

"They're emotional wrecks — it's hard to live on a precipice like this," says Albert, adding that several workers resigned recently.

 

Coney Island, once billed as "America's Playground," was the most popular resort destination in the country in the early part of the 20th century. It evolved into an entertainment fixture, alongside two other local creations: the hot dog and the roller coaster.

 

Albert's father-in-law, Dewey Albert, unveiled the outer-space-themed Astroland park in 1962. Now looking ahead to its 47th summer season, Astroland has 75 year-round employees and 275 seasonal workers.

 

Last year, the city announced a sweeping redevelopment plan for 47 acres of the shabby old Brooklyn seafront. Part of the plan detailed a 15-acre amusement park, with Sitt deciding whether the Astroland rides could stay on its property.

 

Thor, which owns 11 acres of Coney Island, had planned to break ground next year on a $1.5 billion complex including high-rise hotels, retail stores, movie theaters, an indoor water park and New York's first new roller coaster since the landmark wooden Cyclone was built 75 years ago.

 

Officials this year suddenly shrank the amusement zone to 9 acres because property owners — mainly Sitt — would not give up the extra tracts of waterfront for the city-proposed park.

 

That angered community activists, who accused the developer and the city of trying to over-gentrify the so-called workingman's Riviera, where visitors can still find freak show attractions such as a fire eater and the Human Blockhead, who drives a drill into his face.

 

Last fall, Thor and Astroland agreed to a one-year lease extension that expires Jan. 31. There have been no face-to-face talks this year, Albert said.

 

She now wants a lease for the summers of 2009 and 2010, since she believes the earliest Thor could break ground on new development would be in two years.

 

Construction could begin as soon as the City Council approves a zoning change that would allow an amusement-only area to be used for other commercial purposes — a process that could take more than a year and involve public hearings capped by a council vote.

 

Lynn Kelly, president of Coney Island Development Corp., reprimanded Thor for shrinking the amusement district. In a statement released Monday, Kelly blamed real estate speculators for accelerating Coney Island's downward spiral by furthering their own interests.

 

A spokesman for Thor Equities did not return a call for comment Monday.

 

No matter what happens, the storied Cyclone roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel are not leaving Coney Island anytime soon — they're designated as city historic landmarks.

[GAcoaster]

I don't blame the owners for wanting the assurance of 2 years to stay. It's difficult trying to make plans when everything is in limbo.

[29yrswithaGApass]

EVERY fall... the weather gets cooler, the leaves change color, and Astroland is set to close for good.

[CycloneMan]

I'll be there this Sunday

 

ASTROLAND IS CLOSING FOR GOOD ON SUNDAY

By RICH CALDER

Posted: 2:09 pm

September 4, 2008

Astroland is dead.

The longtime operator of the fabled Coney Island amusement park confirmed today

that the 46-year-old Coney Island icon will close its doors for good Sunday

because a new lease deal couldn't timely be reached.

As The Post first reported on its Web site Friday, Carol Albert

threatened to shut down the park if she didn't get a two-year lease extension by

1 p.m. today at the same rate from Astroland's landlord, controversial developer

Joe Sitt.

The deadline passed with both sides not even talking and Sitt waiting to see if

Albert was bluffing.

Sitt spokesman Stefan Friedman told the Post the developer won't negotiate

"through the media or with a gun held to his head." Rather, he'll wait and see

whether Albert really pulls out after the deadline.

He pointed out that the current lease doesn't expire until the end of the year,

although Albert has said she needs the extra months to sell off her rides before

the lease expires or face hefty penalties from Sitt for failing to vacate the

land on time.

The landmarked Cyclone rollercoaster at Astroland is not affected and will

remain where it is.

Sitt plans to replace Astroland with new amusements next season. But critics

point out that the developer failed miserably this summer when he arranged to

have temporary rides and attractions come to vacant boardwalk land he owns off

Stillwell Avenue as they were a huge flop.

Many expected Astroland to return in 2009 since the city is at least a year away

from implementing an area rezoning plan that, in part, would replace the park

and other attractions with new amusements.

Astroland's potential closing comes while many other boardwalk

business owners who rent from Sitt are also sweating it out over

whether they'll be back next summer. Like Astroland, they had to wait out a

lease extension a year ago also.

"I don't know why they wouldn't bring us back – especially when they don't have

anything to replace us with?" said a concerned Dianna Carlin, owner of the Lola

Staar Souvenir Boutique.

She also questioned whether Coney Island's economy would take a serious hit

without a major anchor, such as Astroland.

It was unclear just how far apart both sides are in dollars, but

Albert's lawyer told Sitt's lawyer in a letter dated Friday that the

park has seen expenses increase since last year, particularly a

$700,000 surge in insurance costs.

Astroland was seeking a multiple year lease, in part, to give its

workers some stability.

The Albert family sold the 3.1-acre Astroland property to Sitt's firm Thor

Equities in 2006 for $30 million, but negotiated last year's deal to squeeze in

at least one final go-round for Astroland and its employees, many of whom are

neighborhood residents with years of service.

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09042008/news/...nday_127490.htm

 

STATEMENT FROM CAROL ALBERT

STATEMENT BY CAROL HILL ALBERT,

CO-OWNER OF ASTROLAND AMUSEMENT PARK

I am making this statement today to set the record straight. I have not “given

up on Coney Island” as Thor Equities has stated. I have given up on trying to

get Thor to negotiate which I have attempted to do every month since June, and

numerous times in August.

Each time their response was, “We have no answer.” The safety of our customers

and our commitment to employees means our time has run out. Ride parts must be

ordered a minimum of eight to 10 months in advance. My employees cannot live in

a state of limbo any longer. It takes six months to pack up a three-acre

amusement park that has been in operation for 46 years, so a January 31st

deadline means start packing yesterday. We are out of time.

Today I notified Astroland’s employees that the amusement park will cease

operations permanently at the end of the day on Sunday, September 7th.

Many in the community had hoped along with us that Astroland could remain open

to keep the lights on in Coney Island until the rezoning issue had been

resolved, because carnival rides, as the “Summer of Hope” sadly proved, are no

substitute for a permanent amusement park. However, when even our good friend,

Councilman Domenic Recchia could do nothing to persuade Thor to negotiate, it

became clear we had no choice but to close the business permanently on Sunday

night, September 7th.

Coney Island's future as a tourism and amusement destination is clearly in

peril. Thor equities, which now owns most of Coney Island, came onto the

development scene showing beautiful renderings of this great 21st century

amusement park they were promising to build. All indications however, are that

their real priority is retail and high end housing. There is a real question

as to whether Coney Island will ever have amusements, other than the Cyclone and

the Wonder Wheel in its future. Instead it appears to be that a series of

shopping malls and condos will replace amusement parks as the centerpiece of the

Coney Island that has been here for over 100 years. This is a tragic loss for

the City of New York and visitors around the world.

Astroland Kiddie Park and the Cyclone Roller Coaster will open for the last

weekend on Friday, Sept 5 at 12:00 noon. Major thrill rides will open at 4 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, all attractions will open at 12:00 noon.

We invite all New Yorkers to come to Astroland this weekend to bid farewell to

this historic icon.

And we look forward to seeing many of our loyal patrons on opening day for the

Cyclone roller coaster, Sunday April 5, 2009.

 

-Dainan

Edited September 4, 2008 by CycloneMan

[rcji]

That's not good....I'm going to try and go Sunday now.

Edited September 4, 2008 by rcji

[warnerleroy]

This sucks! Conry island is dying another slow death,"Hey kids, wanna go to Coney Island, go to the beach and stare at the 200 foot condos or would you rather go to the amusement park that used to stand there". I hope the same never happens to Great adventure

[J4Sing]

Very sad. I visited with Dick "the mayor" Zigun last June, and he seemed very dismal about things, and I can see why. Deno, who owns the Wonder Wheel park, is the only one who refused to sell out to Thor. He is the last hold out. Good ol Deno, the keeper of the flame. Incredibly sad about Astroland. I remember when the amusement zone went from West 8th to West 16th. My parents remembered when it went from West 8th to West 20th. My Grandparents remembered when it went from West 3rd to West 25th. Now, the only amusements left are from West 10th to Stilwell. (West 14th) Eliminate Astroland, and considering that the majority of the rest is already empty lots, and that leaves you with 1.5 blocks left of amusments, with only 2 good unique rides. (not including the flats, which are great, but they are still flats) 1.5 blocks left of what was once an amusement zone spanning 25 square blocks. Tragic.

[warnerleroy]

Atleast the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel are safe form demo, there part of the condos plans. I always like Deno's better than Astroland, and now you can see why, because they run the park as a family heirloom, not just a business, and losing the park would mean a lot because of huge sentimentel value, no matter how much money is in.

 

 

[rcji]

^^^They can't be touched either way because they are declared landmarks. These plans better work out or many people will be