historic preservation | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for the ‘historic preservation’ Category

Thor’s Coney Island: Caution! Asbestos Removal at Doomed Bank

Posted in historic preservation, News, tagged asbestos abatement, Bank of Coney Island, Coney Island, environmental protection, Joe Sitt, Save Coney Island, Shore Hotel, Thor Equities on June 14, 2010| 5 Comments »

What's behind the newly erected tarp atop Bank of Coney Island? Asbestos removal in progress! June 14, 2010

We’re shocked that the City has issued permits to Thor Equities for pre-demolition asbestos abatement during Coney Island’s summer season. Couldn’t Joe Sitt be persuaded to wait till October to get on with his dirty work of demolishing the historic buildings that he owns in Coney Island?

Joey Bulldozer Sitt, who has ZERO rides and attractions on his Stillwell lots this season, contributes ZERO to the Coney Island community. While Coney Island’s stakeholders are busy working to make this summer the best in decades, the only thing Joe Sitt is busy doing is turning the rest of his Coney property into empty lots asap. Too bad New York City is not ancient Athens, where citizens considered dangerous to public welfare were banished!

copywm176 (3)

The permit from the City’s Department of Environmental Protection is dated June 1, 2010 and runs through January 2011. Is the City monitoring the air around the doomed Bank of Coney Island or leaving it up to Thor’s team to keep us safe from inhaling asbestos fibers and dust? Here’s where we start to be concerned…

Workers have been doing asbestos abatement at the bank building on weeknights for the past two weeks. Last week another Coney Island photographer was threatened by a thuggish worker who made a grab for his camera as he was snapping photos. Did they have something to hide or were they merely camera shy? Today for the first time the crew worked daytime hours. Early this morning some kind of white covering appeared on the rooftop, but caution tape did not materialize on the street until 1 pm. Sounds of heavy machinery in bank. Observers tell ATZ it looked like they were cutting and removing pipes and metal. While some workers wore hazmat-type gear, others were seen working inside the building in street clothes, no hard hats. Around 3 pm, they put garbage bags full of material in the back of a closed unmarked truck.

Uh, do we have to point out that asbestos is considered dangerous? Since there is no known safe level of exposure, all asbestos exposure should be avoided. Anyone who is exposed to asbestos can get mesothelioma. “Workers who deal with this deadly material often carried microscopic asbestos fibers home with them in their clothes and hair, which caused secondary exposure to their families and friends. Over time, these innocent victims can develop mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other fatal conditions.”

NPU ducts protrude from second story of Bank of Coney Island. Photo by Capt Nemo.

See “A Rare Peek Inside Endangered Bank of Coney Island” (ATZ, Oct 9 2009) for a look at a building that is not long for this world. The City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission rejected Save Coney Island’s proposal to landmark the bank building and three other historic buildings. The other three –the Grashorn and Henderson and the Shore Hotel — are probably next on the abatement list. One day last week when we passed by the vacant Shore Hotel, we saw the shuttered first floor open. A man was inside taking notes. Since the Henderson and Bank of Coney were doomed by last year’s rezoning for 30 story hotel towers, it’s doubtful that Save Coney Island’s continuing efforts to save them will succeed. So what’s your hurry, Joe?

UPDATE August 14, 2010:

We’re sorry to report the demolition permit for the bank building was issued yesterday– Friday the 13th. It was no surprise because on Wednesday the sidewalks around the Thor-owned building were being dug up to disconnect sewer and water lines in preparation. How inexpressibly sad to see the potential here and what will be gone forever in a matter of days. Don’t bother calling the DOB to complain either. It’s final! According to the permit: “This job is not subject to the Department’s Development Challenge Process. For any issues, please contact the relevant borough office.” Joe Sitt will soon have another empty lot to add to his collection of empty lots.

UPDATE June 14, 2010:

Soon after our post, we received an email from contributing photographer Bruce Handy with links to his flickr photo set of asbestos removal signs at the Shore Hotel, seen during Save Coney Island’s Historic Walking Tour on June 13. We bet the other two buildings have permits, too. Too bad the DOB doesn’t list these permits on the Bank of Coney’s and Shore Hotel’s pages on the DOB site, where people have been keeping an eye out for news! According to the DEP’s website, the City’s permitting process for asbestos abatement has been moved from the DOB to the DEP’s office in Lefrak City.

Shore Hotel Asbestos Set, June 14, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy via flickr

Shore Hotel Asbestos Set, June 13, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy via flickr

May 12: Citywide Rally for Landmarks Preservation at City Hall

Posted in historic preservation, tagged City Hall, Historic Districts Council, landmark district, Landmarks Preservation Commission, rally, Save Coney Island on May 11, 2010| 2 Comments »

copywm176 (3)

Call to Action: Rally for Preservation on Wednesday, May 12

WHEN: Wednesday, May 12th at 10am SHARP

WHERE: City Hall Steps – 4,5,6, N or R Trains to City Hall

Tomorrow morning, Save Coney Island joins the Historic Districts Council and other preservation groups at a citywide rally at City Hall.

“Save Coney Island believes this summer should be about REVITALIZATION (with the opening of the new Luna Park) and PRESERVATION – NOT about “DEMOLITION,” said an e-mail from the grass-roots group. “Please join us. This will be a perfect opportunity to put Coney Island’s preservation battle in the citywide spotlight. We need you to make your voice heard.”

ATZ is sorry that rumors of Joe Sitt’s plans to demolish historic buildings which we reported in “Thor’s Coney Island: Tattered Tents, Deathwatch for Historic Buildings” (ATZ, April 21, 2010) have turned out to be true. On May 3, Thor Equities spokes-tool Loren Riegelhaupt told the Brooklyn Paper: “This summer is going to be about the demolition.” The reference is to the planned demo of four historic buildings in Coney Island owned by Joe Sitt.

Shore Hotel Nature's Paradise by the Sea. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Shore Hotel Nature's Paradise by the Sea. April 26, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

The endangered buildings are the Grashorn, Coney Island’s oldest; the former Bank of Coney Island; the Henderson Building; and the Shore Hotel. The Grashorn and Henderson were nominated for landmark designation by Coney Island USA and all four buildings would be part of an historic district proposed by Save Coney Island. Stefan Friedman, another Thor spokes-tool, told the paper: “These buildings were thoroughly reviewed by the city [before] last year’s rezoning and determined to have no significant historic value whatsoever. Some of these buildings are asbestos-infested ramshackle buildings that pose a very real risk to the local community.”

We’ll counter Thor’s disinformation campaign by referring you to “Destined for Demolition? Historic Buildings Owned By Thor Equities” in the right column of our blog for articles by the Municipal Art Society, Vanishing New York and ATZ on the four buildings in question and Save Coney’s list of historic landmarks. As for Thor’s empty lots, check out “Thor’s Coney Island: What Stillwell Looked Like Before Joe Sitt”

The Historic Districts Council is hosting the rally…

We will be having speakers from neighborhoods across the city talking about their efforts and giving voice to the fact that people want preservation. For the past four years, HDC has helped organize a preservation day at City Hall that dozens of neighborhood preservationists have attended to show the strength of the preservation community. Through our efforts, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has grown in staff and has designated more properties in all five boroughs than ever – they designated more properties in 2008 than they had in any year since 1990. This record of accomplishment needs to continue; dozens of historic neighborhoods throughout New York City are still unprotected and prey to tear-downs and unregulated development. If we’ve learned one thing in 45 years of preservation practice in New York, it’s that landmark protection is good for the city. Without landmark protection, SoHo and Tribeca wouldn’t exist, the theater district would be an office park and Brooklyn Heights would be filled with high-rises. But as much as the LPC has accomplished, there’s still much more to do.

Coney Island’s Shore Theater and Coney Island USA’s Building (the former Childs Restaurant on Surf Avenue) are being considered for landmark designation by the LPC.

21st Century Bars: Coney Island’s Freak Bar Featured in New Book

Posted in Books, Food & Drink, historic preservation, tagged 21st Century Bars, book review, Childs Restaurant, Coney Island USA, Freak Bar, Philip Tusa, Photography, Surf Avenue on May 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island USA New Freak Bar & Museum Gift Shop designed by Philip Tusa, Architect and photographed by Paul Warchol; Freak Bar View. Photo via Philip Tusa Architect’s flickr

We’re not surprised to find Coney Island USA’s Freak Bar among the more than 60 architecturally interesting new bars profiled in a coffee table art book. Editor Andrew Hall describes 21st Century Bars, published this month by Images Publishing, as a globe-trotting “journey to some of this century’s most interesting bars.”

Designed by architect Philip Tusa and completed in October 2008, the Freak Bar has been a shining oasis on Surf Avenue amid the desecration of swaths of Coney Island by real estate speculation. What a pleasure it has been to meet our freaky friends at the bar on Mermaid Day and New Year’s Day!

Of the 1917 Childs Restaurant Building, which is owned by Coney Island USA and currently under consideration for New York City landmark designation, Tusa has this to say in the book…

Of historical note, hidden underneath aged plywood signs were the beautiful arches that were part of the historic facade; these are now revealed and incorporated in all their splendor. Decoratively, the ‘Coney-esque’ style has been successfully employed. Historically, Coney Island USA has sought to evoke an atmosphere that signifies the nostalgia that Coney is to all people worldwide, whether they remember it personally or have just heard of it.

Cheers to Coney Island and Coney Island USA!

The Freak Bar, Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, 718-372-5159

Coney Island USA says: “Currently the Freak Bar hours are Thursdays and Fridays 8pm to ?? (1am-ish) for Burlesque At The Beach. Saturdays and Sundays 12pm to ?? (10 pm or later depending on customer flow.) The hours will change after Memorial Day, and we will be open seven days a week. The earliest we will open any given day is Noon, and the closing time will depend on the typical factors of a Coney Island day.”

21st Century Bars, edited by Andrew Hall, Published by Images Publishing, 2010. Hardcover, $50

Coney Island USA New Freak Bar & Museum Gift Shop designed by Philip Tusa, Architect and photographed by Paul Warchol; Exterior View looking toward the Coney Island Wonder Wheel amusement ride. Photo via Philip Tusa Architect’s flickr