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Coney Island Deadlock Could Be Broken With Eminent Domain
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 9, 2009
Modified Mar 9, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 9, 2009
Modified Mar 9, 2009
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Mayor Bloomberg's controversial plans to rezone and develop the Coney Island amusement district have been long stymied due to a breakdown in negotiations between the city and developer Joe Sitt, who has bought up much of the beachfront property in the area targeted for development. The city wants to purchase Sitt's 10.5 acres of property, which includes the now-desolate Astroland, for approximately $110 million, according to the Post.
Sitt, whose grandiose plan to build a $1.5 billion Vegas-style amusement, entertainment and high-rise condo complex was thwarted by the city, now wants $200 million to $250 million for the properties, which is roughly double what he paid accumulating them. The two sides have been at an impasse since last year, and Sitt's spokesman tells the Post, "There are no ongoing talks whatsoever." But there could be another solution to all this: buried in the 1,000-page environmental impact statement released by the city in January is an acknowledgment that Boardwalk properties "could be acquired through condemnation, as necessary."
The president of the city's Economic Development Corp. says the administration "doesn't think" eminent domain will be necessary, and the Municipal Art Society, which has been critical of both Sitt's plans and the city's proposal, says it should only be used as a last resort because such a tactic would inevitably be dragged out in court. (Cf. Atlantic Yards.) But the option is officially on the table, and some Sitt opponents would love nothing more than to see the developer get zilch for the property he's been using as leverage against the city as he threatens to create a summertime Boardwalk dystopia of shuttered businesses and vacant amusement parks.
Tagged
coney island
eminent domain
plan
proposal
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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