Redevelopment | Amusing the Zillion

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First Pieces of Zamperla Flying Coaster Arrive at Coney Island’s Future Scream Zone

Posted in Amusement ride, Redevelopment, tagged American Eagle, amusement park, Coney Island, flying coaster, Luna Park, Scream Zone, Volare, Zamperla on November 11, 2010| 3 Comments »

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Over the weekend, the supports for Zamperla’s Flying Coaster (aka Volare) arrived in Coney Island and were unloaded on the lot behind Beer Island. The supports were the first pieces of equipment to arrive at the future Scream Zone, which will be built on City-owned parcels on Stillwell Avenue. As ATZ reported last month, the Flying Coaster from Denver’s Elitch Gardens was bought back by Zamperla with the intention of refurbishing it and installing it in Coney Island in 2011.

The Flying Coaster along with a Steeplechase-themed Moto Coaster, Sling Shot and Turbo Force will be set up on the east side of Stillwell behind the Boardwalk buildings occupied by Nathan’s, Cha Cha’s and Ruby’s. The entrance to Scream Zone is expected to be where Shoot the Freak is now.

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

In September, ATZ attended a panel discussion in which Zamperla USA’s CEO Valerio Ferrari unveiled a rendering of the flying coaster “American Eagle” aka the Volare in a presentation about new rides slated for Coney Island’s Scream Zone. On Zamperla’s website, the coaster is called Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian. You can watch a YouTube video of the coaster in action here.

Zamperla's American Eagle Coaster aka The Volare will be the second coaster in Coney Island's Scream Zone. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

The Elitch Gardens Flying Coaster was a prototype that made its debut in May 2002 and has been SBNO (standing but not operating) since 2008. The Coney Island Rumor Mill had been speculating for months that the Elitch Gardens coaster would come to Coney. Zamperla flying coasters can also be found at Rye Playland (“Super Flight”), Canada’s Wonderland (“Time Warp”), Vienna’s Wiener Prater, Genting Theme Park in Malaysia and Kaeson Youth Park in North Korea, among others.

This Week in Coney Island: Party at Paul’s Daughter, Hypocrisy at NYCEDC

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Central Amusement International, Coney Island Boardwalk, Gregory & Paul's, NYCEDC, Paul's Daughter, Seth Pinsky, small business on November 10, 2010| 2 Comments »

Connoisseurs of hypocrisy should enjoy this one: On Tuesday, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) tweeted “Support your small local business,” yet refuses to support or say a word to the press about the nine small local businesses booted off City-owned property in Coney Island. The NYCEDC leased the Boardwalk property to Central Amusement International, the New Jersey-based operator of Coney Island’s new Luna Park.

It appears that City officials are trying to distance themselves from responsibility for the eviction of Mom and Pops by referring all requests for comment to CAI. In an op-ed in this week’s Courier News, Valerio Ferrari, president of Central Amusement International promised a “multi-million dollar program that will bring back the world-class mix of entertainment, dining and nightlife that was once a hallmark of the famed Boardwalk.” Last week, Ferrari told us that Luna Park is investing $1.4 million in a new restaurant at the corner of Surf and 10th Street, formerly occupied by Gregory & Paul’s. A Boardwalk restaurant/bar hoping to get a lease renewal would have had to make a million dollar investment as well, Ferrari said.

Also on Tuesday, Paul’s Daughter, the Boardwalk restaurant formerly known as Gregory & Paul’s, posted an invite to a party on Saturday afternoon at 12:30. “It’s on the house!” Come out and enjoy the best french fries in all of Coney Island (yes, better than Nathan’s!) and photograph their iconic signage, perhaps for the very last time (we hope not). Watch for our photo album and reminiscences of the 40-year-old Boardwalk establishment coming tomorrow! Paul’s is one of the nine businesses being forced out by the redevelopment.

Paul's Daughter, formerly Gregory & Paul's, on the Coney Island Boardwalk. June 27, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

ATZ learned that the businesses, which had been given only two weeks to vacate the premises, were granted a four-day reprieve, presumably to give them a little more time to pack up decades worth of memorabilia and get out. Or perhaps the extension has something to do with legal action taken by eight of the business owners reported in today’s New York Post. Yesterday the businesses received letters extending the original November 15th deadline to vacate till November 19th.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the NYCEDC or its president Seth Pinsky to reply to our tweets: Waiting for @sethpinsky @NYCEDC to “figure out where it makes sense for the various tenants to remain as we build out the amusement park” and Let’s see if @NYCEDC will at least relocate the mom & pop businesses booted off City-owned land in Coney.

This Friday, November 12, will be the one-year anniversary of the city’s press conference on the land buy where Shoot the Freak’s Anthony Berlingieri posed the question directly to Mayor Bloomberg: “Is there a place for us?” NYCEDC President Seth Pinsky gave a diplomatic reply: “Our intention is for the foreseeable future to keep all the tenants in place, certainly through next summer [2010]. And we’re going to be looking to work with each of you to figure out where it makes sense for the various tenants to remain as we build out the amusement park.”

Hey Seth, come to the party at Paul’s Daughter on Saturday, November 13, at 12:30 pm, and support local small business in Coney Island!

Party, Rally, Pay Your Respects to Coney Island Boardwalk 9

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Boardwalk, Central Amusement International, Coney Island, Eviction of Small Businesses, NYCEDC, Paul's Daughter, Ruby's on November 6, 2010| 1 Comment »

Coney Island Needs Your Help: The Official Poster from Friends of Ruby’s Bar & Grill

This weekend, patrons and friends of the nine booted out Boardwalk businesses will converge in Coney Island to party, rally and pay their respects. Ruby’s Bar will be open for “Last Call…for now” on Saturday from 12 noon till at least 6 pm. Friends of the beloved bar organized a rally and petition drive. You can sign the online petition here. We expect to see lots of protest signs and as many dear friends on this heartbreaking occasion as on New Year’s Day.

The businesses who lost their leases aka “The Coney Island Boardwalk 9” are Ruby’s, Cha Cha’s, Paul’s Daughter, Grill House, Gyro Corner, Shoot the Freak, Beer Island, Pio Pio Riko and Coney Island Souvenir Shop. Paul’s Daughter, who was interviewed yesterday by New York Magazine’s Grub Street, will also be open on Saturday for a farewell party. On Sunday, Coney Island band Neptune Jam will be playing in front of the Grill House. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if Cha Cha’s and Shoot the Freak are open, too. We’ll let you know! UPDATE 10:30 pm… Ruby’s was still rocking when we left around 8 pm! But Saturday was “Last Call” for now. Cha Cha’s and Shoot the Freak remained closed, but Gyro Corner was open. Both Paul’s Daughter and Grill House will be open on Sunday.

Paul's Daughter, Coney Island Boardwalk. Last day of season, Oct 31, 2010. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

As we said on the eve of Coney Island’s official last day of the season, which was October 31: If you have a sentimental favorite on the Boardwalk, come out and show them some love. And don’t forget to take souvenir photos. This weekend could be your very last chance.

If you can’t make it and want to make your voice heard, we recommend calling 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) and leaving a comment for the Mayor or sending an email via the City’s website. The property is City-owned, yet the City has been silent since the news broke. Plans for a revamped Boardwalk were probably part of the original proposal for the new Luna Park and certainly had input from the City’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). It’s pretty clear the City wanted these old Boardwalk businesses gone from the new Coney Island or we’d have heard about a plan to relocate them instead of silence.

The only politician who has commented on the situation is Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who told Grub Street: “As a Brooklynite, I have great respect for all boardwalk businesses that have kept the faith during hard times, therefore I’m calling on the City to see if we can help them stay in the area if not on the boardwalk.” You can encourage Marty to broker a deal by emailing askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov or phoning 718-802-3700.