January | 2011 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for January, 2011

Paul’s Daughter Dishes on the Boardwalk Brawl

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Coney Island Boardwalk, Gregory & Paul's, Paul's Daughter, Sodexo on January 13, 2011| 9 Comments »

1959: Paul's wife and daughter visit him on the Bowery. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul's Daughter Facebook

Over the past two months, the owners of Ruby’s and Shoot the Freak have emerged as the spokesmen for the Coney Island 8, the eight Boardwalk businesses locked in a eviction battle with Zamperla’s Central Amusement International. But we’ve heard very little from the others. ATZ got in touch with Tina Georgoulakos, owner of Paul’s Daughter, which was founded as Gregory & Paul’s in 1962, for her view on the Boardwalk Brawl.

“I wanted so much to be a part of the New Coney Island but they didn’t even offer me a tiny little spot on the Boardwalk,” says Tina. “They didn’t even respond to me about my proposal, they didn’t even write my name on the eviction notice. And then to find out I’m being replaced by Sodexo, a company who paid out $100 million to settle lawsuits because of racism against their employees and fraud against New York schools. I feel like I’m in a bad B movie.”

Day after the eviction: Tina and Paul Georgoulakos. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul's Daughter Facebook

Zamperla’s plan for Paul’s Daughter’s Boardwalk location at the southeast corner of Luna Park is a restaurant run by food management giant Sodexo. The French multinational is the world’s 22nd largest corporation. Since the park opened in May, the company has been Zamperla’s partner for “On Site Service Solutions,” setting up and managing food and beverage kiosks in the park.

In early December the Boardwalk businesses were asked to give access to architects from a firm that was hired by the EDC this summer to do existing condition reports on each of the Boardwalk properties. They were requested to provide access for them since the city needed these reports for insurance purposes.

“The architects did complete floor plans and elevations, they then turned those drawings over to Sodexo,” says Tina. “One of the architects asked Sodexo rep Sandy Boyd if Sodexo was going to be a year-round restaurant and she replied ‘oh no, it will be seasonal, there aren’t enough people here off season.’ Of course being open all year is what CAI has been pitching to the public so it’s just another lie.”

Burger Girl at Paul's Daughter. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

After the shock of finding out that her location at the Boardwalk entrance to the park would become a Sodexo-run restaurant, Tina was disapppointed that the City and Zamperla didn’t at least offer her another space, even a smaller one, on the Boardwalk. If another location had been offered she would have a smaller menu and take the Burger people from the roof and put them together, along with the iconic signage, she says.

The lack of support from City officials and some comments in the media have also been hurtful. In Monday’s NY Post, Councilman Domenic Recchia said, ‘I understand the sentiment that these businesses have been here a long time, but they also made a lot of money paying cheap rent all these years. If they really cared, I know firsthand that they had plenty of chances to buy these properties and fix them up, but they never did.”

1962: Paul partners with Gregory Bitetzakis and takes over the old Howard Johnson’s on W. 8 St. and the Boardwalk. They call it Gregory & Paul’s Bar and Grill. 1968: Rockefeller buys the property their store is on and donates it to the Aquarium, putting them (and seven other stores) out of business. Photo © Tina Georgoulakos via Paul’s Daughter Facebook

“I wish Recchia had called me. I imagine he’s going to be very angry when he finds out he was misinformed,” says Tina. “It hurts me to hear such untruths about my store Paul’s Daughter. There aren’t any violations against it. I’ve been handcuffed by one year leases for years and years. And I would have given anything to have been given the opportunity to purchase the property but it was never offered and by the way it sold for 32 30 million dollars to Sitt. I pay $100,000 for seven months. I guess some people don’t think that’s a lot. I proposed to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to modernize my iconic store.”

Paul’s Daughter is located on the former Astroland property and was able to remain there after Sitt bought the land. In 2009, the city purchased the property along with two additional lots on Stillwell for $95 million and leased them to Zamperla, which pays $100,000 annual rent plus a small percentage of the gross receipts to the City. According to CAI’s contract with the City, Luna Park also received a subsidy of $5.7 million from the City for “among other things, facilitating the purchase of certain equipment necessary for the Tenant to operate the Premises as a first class amusement park.”

Easter Brunch at Paul's Daughter on the Boardwalk. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

“I would have been elated to share in Valerio’s vision for Coney Island only he kept it a secret,” said Tina. “If they were even entertaining the idea of me staying wouldn’t they have shared their vision with me?” On the day of eviction, Valerio Ferrari, Zamperla USA CEO, told ATZ: “They didn’t have the vision that we have for the Boardwalk. It’s a business decision.” He said Zamperla/CAI’s vision is to revitalize the Boardwalk by making it a lively place open 365 days a year. But it’s also a matter of investment dollars.

Says Tina: “It breaks my heart to know that not only is my city, my beloved New York, not helping me, they are trying to tell lies about my business to make me look bad. I haven’t a clue as to why. Ask anyone in Coney Island about my dad aka ‘The Chief.’ I don’t know a soul who doesn’t adore him. Forty-one crazy, wonderful years on the Boardwalk. I love NY….. I love Brooklyn and I love the view from my store even more. I wish someone could help me stay.”

Last Day of Season at Paul's Daughter, Oct 31, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Photo of the Day: Coney Island Kiddie Park Snowed In

Posted in Amusement ride, Photo of the Day, tagged Jim McDonnell, Jimmy McCullough, Kiddie Park, Photography, snow on January 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island 2011 Winter to Spring: After the Storm. January 12, 2011. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

Photographer Jim McDonnell got back from a walk in snowy Coney Island and sent us a link to his first photos of the 2011 season. Among our faves is this snowed-in kiddie park at Bowery and 12th Street. Seeing the grinning Bumblebeez always puts us in a happy mood.

Although Jimmy McCullough’s Kiddie Park doesn’t get photographed as often as its larger neighbors, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and Luna Park, it has 12 kiddie rides packed into a surprisingly small area. McCullough is a cousin to the Tilyous and has owned and operated rides, including the B & B Carousell, in Coney Island for many years.

Coney Island Building Landmarked, Joe Sitt Sees the Light

Posted in historic preservation, tagged Childs Building, Coney Island USA, Dick Zigun, landmark designation on January 10, 2011| 6 Comments »

Let’s get this puzzler out of the way first: Why are Joe Sitt and Thor Equities mentioned in a press release heralding today’s landmark designation of Coney Island USA’s building?

Repair of the exterior architectural lighting was funded through the generosity of our individual and corporate supporters, including Melissa Baldock, Steve Bernstein and Joseph Sitt of Thor Equities.

Is it a typo? Or has Sitt seen the light, however briefly, and contributed to the renovation of an historic building in Coney Island?

It’s odd to see Sitt’s name alongside a noted preservationist and a CIUSA board member. It’s incongruous considering Sitt’s darkening of the amusement area and demolition of three buildings that he owns, including two that were nominated for landmark designation. His contribution would be more noble if his rampant destruction weren’t in evidence all around Coney Island. And if you’re wondering how much Sitt contributed to the renovations, so are we.

Update…Dick Zigun, director of Coney Island USA writes: “Yes it is true he gave us money a year and a half ago but we just finished the project… not that much money $16,000… I asked him for funding it was not his idea… I ask everyone for money.” Zigun added that the total cost of the renovation was $70,000. As far as we know, this is the first time Joe Sitt and Thor Equities have contributed to the restoration of historic Coney Island. Way to go, Joe!

As for the topic of the press release, we’re thrilled that the Landmarks Preservation Commission will at long last designate the arts organization’s 1917 Child’s Restaurant Building a New York City landmark. It’s cause for celebration in Coney Island, especially amid the ongoing demolitions and evictions.

According to the designation report, “Although the Spanish (or the variant Mediterranean) Revival style was more often found on buildings in warmer climates, such as in Florida or the Caribbean, the designer of this structure (John Corley Westervelt) was hoping to suggest this same kind of vacation-oriented environment for a building in the heart of New York’s most popular resort area.”

Coney Island USA deserves credit for nominating 6 historic buildings for designation back in 2005. As we noted when the Shore Theater was designated in December, the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission delayed consideration of the buildings until February 2010, after Coney Island had been rezoned. Of the nominated buildings, only two–the Childs Restaurant (owned by CIUSA) and the Shore Theater (owned by Horace Bullard) were considered worthy of landmark designation. The Thor Equities-owned Bank of Coney Island and Shore Hotel were demolished and the Henderson Building demolition is underway. The doomed buildings were on parcels rezoned for high rise hotels.

Coney Island USA purchased the historic building in 2007 with funding from the City. When the Childs Building was first illuminated in mid-November, Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun said it was part of a major upgrade to the exterior of the building. “The Surf Avenue facade will be illuminated every evening, 365 days a year; the West 12th Street lights will be on when we are open for business any evening,” noted Zigun.