Changing Coney …again ?

 Posted by Nick at 12:18 pm  Coney Island
Aug 162010
 

Local businesses can’t get a break. Property flipping Joe Shitt of Thor Equities had bought acres of Coney Island property and had people believing of new malls, hotels and amusement rides. He only accomplished tearing down areas like the batting cages and the closing of the institution Astroland. Now Zamperla, the Italian amusement company that opened the new Luna Park in May, is asking locate business to prove that they still belong in Coney Island but submitting business models and marketing plans. Zamperla plans to let all the leases expire in October and may bring in Shake Shack and Atomic Wings. Will it go dark popular Ruby’s Bar, Cha Cha’s and Shoot the Freak?

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  • http://www.sheepsheadbites.com Ned Berke | Sheepshead Bites

    I’m probably going to get scolded for this, but I don’t think it’s such a ridiculous request. I do think it was done in a very clumsy way, but many of the businesses should have no problem proving that they are not only viable, but highly profitable and attractive to visitors. Is it an extra burden to put their plans to paper? Yes, but it’ll be to their own benefit.

    However, Zamperla needs to set out some criteria to show what they’re looking for – otherwise they can just say, “Oh, this isn’t the kind of business we want here,” and dump anyone – even the successful ones. That is a big problem.

  • Robert Segarra

    I think that until New York City itself makes an unequivocal commitment to Coney Island, we are going to continue to have an economic revolving door in the area, with each new developer, all with wacky ideas, coming in, making promises and assurances that once again will never be honored. Coney Island used to be America’s playground long before other places started making that claim. And ever since the Lindsay administration, there has been a number of plans to rebuild and revitalize the Coney Island area, all of them based on half-hearted schemes and broken promises. But I have an idea. What if we took all of these developers who are going into areas like Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Green Point and Williamsburg – all places that already are thriving, and we gave them tax incentives to help reinvigorate the Coney Island area instead? Wouldn’t that be a great idea? Why do we need to continue to renovate places that don’t need it, when we can easily restore an area that really does? Coney Island has a rich history and it is a prime location. We just need to show we haven’t abandoned it by helping to bring it into the 21st century by re-investing in its businesses and infrastructure. We can do this. We all need to write to our representatives and tell them what we want.

  • Robert Segarra

    Also, shouldn’t Zamperla have gotten business models and marketing plans from those they leased property to before hand? That’s how things are normally done in business. I honestly think Zamperla is looking for a way out of their deal by making such requests from those currently leasing space. Because if Zamperla makes it difficult for the attractions to remain, they can always later claim that their plan fell through because they erroneously gave opportunities to businesses that really weren’t viable. It’s a way for Zamperla to “save face.” The solution for Coney Island rests with New York City itself. If New York won’t invest in its’ own future, how can we expect outsiders to do so with sincerity.

  • BXCheer

    Gentrification is a reality. Publicly Traded Conglomerates and Corporate Restaurant Chains have more$$ and muscle then their smaller mom and pop owned businesses. The last thing i want to see is a tgi Fridays , f&^% starbucks or duane reade there. Arent there any zoning laws or historical site provisions that would bar this from happening? BOOOO!

  • http://www.bksouthie.com/ Brian Hedden

    Zamperla DID have to submit a business plan to the City to win the lease. A rather extensive one. Quotes from public officials who have seen it, such as Councilman Recchia, suggest it was head-and-shoulders above all of the other business plans that were submitted, hence why Zamperla was awarded the lease.

    The RFP that the City issued late last year specifically noted the status of the Boardwalk businesses: that their leases ran through this year, and after that, the bid-winner has total discretion what to do with them. So this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. I realize I haven’t written about it in a while, but I did mention the likelihood of change on the Boardwalk in Crystal Ball Prediction #8.

    http://www.bksouthie.com/2009/11/12-things-i-see-in-coney-islands-crystal-ball/

  • http://www.sheepsheadbites.com Ned Berke | Sheepshead Bites

    BXCheer: I hear you, brother. I can’t stand when corporate chains move into neighborhoods like Coney Island. I knew the neighborhood was dead when a Nathan’s opened up ;P

   
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