Thor Equities Building at Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island. February 25, 2012. Photo © Bruce Handy. All Rights Reserved
Even though ATZ has been covering the boarding up of Thor Equities new (and first-ever) building in Coney Island, we were shocked by these photos. Is this a glimpse into the future of what we can expect on Joe Sitt’s property in Coney Island? Yes, the building is ugly and out of place, but the plywood just makes a bad situation worse. The blight doubled overnight.
Last time we looked, plywood covered only the Surf Avenue side, but now the entire structure has been boarded up. “Looks like they built a box then flew it in attached to helicopters,” writes photographer Bruce Handy, who shot the photos on Sunday.
What does it look like to you? Hey, let’s have a comment contest! Last time we posted photos of the building, one astute reader wrote, “Sterile is too kind of a description. Thor’s soulless construction is the true definition of urban blight.”
The plywood-encased, suburban mall-like structure is on the southeast corner of Surf and Stillwell, the gateway to Coney’s Beach and Boardwalk as well as Scream Zone’s roller coasters and thrill rides. It’s the first sight visitors see in Coney Island as they exit Stillwell Terminal. The Henderson Music Hall stood on this corner for more than a century until Sitt had it demolished along with two other buildings in 2010, putting an end to Save Coney Island’s efforts to create an historic district.
Thor Equities Building in Coney Island, view from Bowery and Stillwell February 25, 2012. Photo © Bruce Handy. All Rights Reserved
Related posts on ATZ…
February 21, 2012: Thor Destroys 119-Year-Old Relics of Coney Trolley History
February 18, 2012: Thor Equities Boards Up New Building in Coney Island
February 5, 2012: Botched Job: Coney Island Art Exiled by Thor Equities
February 2, 2012: Thor’s Coney Island: Generic New Building at Surf & Stillwell
Amusing the Zillion 
Was this designed by 3rd graders?
Maybe not, 3rd graders would be more imaginative that this.
I think we should call this “The Nothing Box”. Because I predict nothing will ever be inside it.
Ah hahahahahahhaha! Nothing like developers that have a sense of history, of respect and interest in a city and a community, and of place, literal place where their newly constructed properties stand. The photos look like something at the Gowanus Canal. Hahahahahaha.
I see a blank canvas for No Longer Empty.
They need to get an outside talker stand in front of it and play let’s make a deal, what’s behind door number one, condos? hotels? box store? car dealership? fastfood joint? NOPE just a box.
The gateway to Coney, desecrated, destroyed, denuthered, deficated.
Maybe they can hook it up to helicopters and move it to Anyplace, USA.
How about: “Thor’s hammer strikes again!” (Presuming a lot of nails went into all that plywood!)
I’m another Henderson granddaughter; my cousin Lynne commented on your February 18 post. On a rare trip to New York City two summers ago, I was able to see the old Henderson building in person for the first (and last) time before Thor Equities tore it down. Now that Mr. Sitt has created urban blight from the ground up, it’s even more of a shame that the old building wasn’t preserved and restored.
Thank you for your blog, Tricia! I started reading your posts a few months before my trip to New York in 2010 and will continue to stay tuned to see what happens next at Surf & Stillwell.
Even Henderson Walk is all but a memory, doubtfull it will return.
“Cubist Crap” is what I would call it. As usual, greedy developers want square footage they can lease out. Quality doesn’t matter to them, just the bottom line.