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City May Use Eminent Domain To Expand Coney Island Park Space
By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 28, 2015
Modified Sep 28, 2015
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Scott Lynch/Gothamist
By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 28, 2015
Modified Sep 28, 2015
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The city is planning to invoke eminent domain—the right of a government to seize private property for public development—in order to build more rides, amenities, and green space along the Coney Island boardwalk.
The Post reports that the Parks Department has its eye on three waterfront plots in Coney Island, covering 75,000 square feet. One 60,000-square-foot plot near West 15th Street was home to the original Thunderbolt roller coaster before it was razed in 2000; the other smaller plots are off West 12th and West 23rd Streets.
All of the land under consideration was included in Mayor Bloomberg's 2009 rezoning plan, Reviving Coney Island, which set out to develop the boardwalk strip connecting the Wonder Wheel, Parachute Jump, and Cyclone.
However, that spring Bloomberg's plans ground to a halt, thanks to Joe Sitt, the real-estate mogul behind Thor Properties, which then owned a 10.5 acre plot in the targeted rezoning area. Sitt spent $100 million on 12 acres of Coney Island boardwalk property in the aughts, and had dreams of a Vegas-style amusement park-retail-condo combo on the water front. Sitt wanted between $200-250 million for the land, but the city was only willing to pay $110 million. There were whispers of invoking eminent domain as a last resort.
Instead, the city eventually paid $95.6 million to Sitt for the construction of Luna Park. Since then, he's been responsible for some strips of retail, including a Brooklyn Nets store, a sad flea market, and, most recently, a series of painted walls.
The Post reports that neither the local community board, nor the Kansas Fried Chicken family—which owns the largest portion of the acreage under consideration—have been formally notified of the city's plans.
However, NYC Parks Department spokeswoman Crystal Howard told us that the department has discussed the plan with the community board at length. She also emphasized that the zoning calls for a "great deal" of parkland.
“NYC Parks’ activation of these vacant lots has been planned and supported by the community for many years," she said in a statement. "It’s a significant step toward increased parkland for the neighborhood, and providing improvements like new sewers and roads, and the development of much-needed mixed-income housing that the neighborhood badly needs."
A public hearing on the fate of Coney's private waterfront lots is scheduled for October 19th at 1:30 p.m., at Coney Island Hospital.
Tagged
coney island
eminent domain
Joseph Sitt
parks department
Emma Whitford
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