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Big Mark’s Action Park Set for Thor’s Stillwell Ave Lot

Posted in amusement park, News, tagged Big Mark's Action Park, Coney Island, Coney Island 2013, Memorial Day Weekend, new bar, Thor Equities, vendors, zipline on February 7, 2013| 2 Comments »

On Memorial Day Weekend 2013, the Stillwell Avenue lots owned by Thor Equities and leased to the BK Festival for the past two seasons will showcase a brand-new tenant. “Big Mark’s Action Park in Coney Island is a fresh new face to the indie, owner-operator theme park scene in NYC, featuring hands-on, high quality amusements,” says the intro on the new park’s twitter page.

Big Mark is Mark Zientek, owner of New Jersey Partyworks, a long-established amusement rental and special events production company. He’s also chairman of ROAR (Responsible Operators of Amusement Rentals) and a NAARSO (National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials) certified maintenance technician. ATZ first met Mark last season, when he was the operations manager of the amusement park brought to Stillwell by the BK Festival and John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia.

When we ran into Mark in December he told us about the new park and said he planned to bring in state fair quality rides. Mark’s right hand man in this new venture is NY Scoops entrepreneur Timmy Grins, who is on board with his marketing and promotional expertise as well as his Italian ices. Now the project is no longer under wraps since a Facebook page was launched in January with details of the park’s offerings. Among the extreme attractions currently being discussed for Coney Island’s “Action Park” are a rock climbing wall, hot air balloons, helicopter rides and skydiving training with a vertical wind tunnel.

Too crazy for Coney? Maybe not. Also mentioned is an Extreme Air Jumper, which simulates board sports and launches participants up to 25 feet in the air. Its manufacturer Extreme Engineering says the jumper system was awarded “Best New Product” in the entertainment industry two years in a row by IAAPA, the amusement industry trade association. As Mark told ATZ: “I’m not trying to compete with the rides at the other parks. I’m offering something different and unique.”

Last year, the BK Festival dressed up the area behind Nathan’s with multi-colored tents for vendors. The new park is also looking for vendors for pop-up shops: “If you are a crafter, a culinary genius of some sort, have a cool new product, or got something to sell and are interested in vendor space in Coney Island this Summer as part of BIG MARKS ACTION PARK, let us know! The spaces will fill FAST.”

Big Mark’s Action Park promises an outdoor bar called either Big Mark’s Mega Bar or Marko Grande’s Coney Cantina. It’s a mouthful, but Mark says you can call it Mega Bar or Coney Cantina for short and it will feature nightly entertainment. As more details about the park become available, we’ll post an update.

UPDATE October 17, 2013

If you would like to know why the park never opened, just read “The New Coney Island: Thor Equities Vacant Lots, Dummy Arcades” (ATZ, October 17, 2013). The lot first became vacant after Thor Equities acquired the land and evicted ride and park operators and remains vacant today despite a history of various amusement operators’ efforts to negotiate lease deals. The latest project that never happened was Big Mark’s Action Park, which planned to bring a rock climbing wall, a vertical wind tunnel and other extreme attractions to Thor’s Stillwell lots in 2013. It’s a similar story as ATZ’s previous post “The New Coney Island: A Tale of Two Jones Walks” contrasting the activated City-owned and vacant Thor-owned sides of the Walk.

UPDATE May 25, 2013

Thor Equities lot on Stillwell Avenue where Big Mark’s Action Park announced they would build their new park remains depressingly empty except for the abandoned MegaWhirl. In reply to our query about the park’s status, “Big Mark” replied, “We are experiencing some unforeseen headwinds, but, are very much on the push to get open as soon as possible. We believe our Action Park will be super complimentary and not competitive to the already wonderful mix of attractions in Coney Island.” On their Facebook page, there’s a cryptic allusion to being “mired in a Clash of the Titans and in a holding pattern.”

Amusing the Zillion’s Top 10 Coney Island News Stories of 2012

Posted in amusement park, News, tagged Boardwalk, Coney Island 2012, Eldorado Bumper Cars, Hurricane Sandy, Thor Equities, Top Ten News Stories, Zip line on December 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

We’re marking the year’s end with a look back at ATZ’s Top 10 Coney Island News Stories of 2012 along with updates. Thanks to the writers and readers who linked to our posts this year. Thanks to everyone who shared comments, both online and in person. If you’re already subscribing to ATZ updates via Feedburner, the service is now virtually defunct since Google is in the process of shutting it down. Email updates have not been going out for several days though this one was sent. We recommend resubscribing via WordPress.com’s new “Follow Amusing the Zillion” widget in the right column. There’s also an RSS feed at the top of the page.

Surf Avenue: Flood Line on Coney Island Mural. Photo © Jim McDonnell

1. “Photo Album: Hurricane Sandy’s Aftermath in Coney Island,” October 30, 2012 and “Photos of the Day: Hurricane Sandy Approaches Coney Island,” October 29, 2012

The biggest Coney Island news story of the year was of course Hurricane Sandy. Photos of the approaching SuperStorm in Coney Island and Sea Gate by Charles Denson and the day after in Coney Island by Jim McDonnell had the most visitors followed by updates on the storm’s impact in the amusement area. During the storm surge, Surf Avenue as well as Mermaid and Neptune Avenues and adjacent streets were submerged in 4 to 5 feet of water that came from the bay, the creek, overflowing sewers and the rising tide. Jim McDonnell’s photos from the day after Hurricane Sandy show the high water mark at Surf and Stillwell, the twisted sign on the landmarked Shore Theater and the damaged Steeplechase Pier.

Hurricane Sandy: Waves Crashing at Sea Gate. Photo © Charles Denson via Coney Island History Project

Luckily, the landmark Cyclone and Wonder Wheel will be fine and the parks are scheduled to open as usual on Palm Sunday, which is March 24, 2013. However, cleanup and rebuilding is an ongoing effort for the parks, arcades and other businesses in Coney Island’s amusement area as well as for the neighborhood. For post-Sandy news, see “Update on Coney Island’s Amusement Area After Sandy,” November 9, 2012 and “Coney Island Post-Sandy: A Few Stores Reopen, Most Delayed by Damage,” November 24, 2012. How can you help? Read “Coney Island Nonprofits Begin to Raise Funds After Sandy,” December 10, 2012.

Coney Island Zipline. August 18, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

ATZ’s #2 news story based on page views was “Zip Line Coming to Coney Island’s Stillwell Avenue in July,” June 28, 2012. There was so much interest in this high-thrill attraction that managed to open only briefly, we’d be surprised if somebody didn’t open a zip line next season. The scaffolding remains standing behind Nathan’s, apparently undamaged by Sandy. Plans to install the 60-foot-high, 400-foot-long zip line in Coney Island first came to our attention in June via an introductory special on Pinchit of 50 percent off the regular price. Originally set to open on July 1, the zip line’s debut was rescheduled for late July and then August due to permitting delays. After umpteen updates to our original post, ATZ tweeted on September 12: “Wow, will the long delayed Coney Island Zipline open this weekend?!?! Right now people are zipping across in test runs #BetterLateThanNever.” Our final update: The ride was open for a day and a half before being closed by the City for permit issues and will not reopen. On October 8th, ATZ received an email from the BK Festival operators which said: “After a very long and difficult process the city still didn’t issue the permit needed to operate the zip line.”

Remnant of Under the Boardwalk Rathskeller from 1940s. Photo © Brooklyn Beach Shop

3. In January, ATZ broke the news of the discovery of a “Remnant of Under Boardwalk Bar Found in Coney Island,” January 31, 2012. Menus of one of the rathskellers that thrived under the Boardwalk in the 1940s and ’50s were found on a basement wall by Maya Haddad of Brooklyn Beach Shop when she moved into the first floor. The name of the rathskeller remains unknown, but beer and milk were 10 cents, coffee was a nickel. The sandwich menu included hamburger, egg, cream cheese, American cheese, Swiss cheese, Sardine or Salmon, Ham, Salami or Liverwurst, Ham & Egg, and a Western. Could this be the place where the boy in the 1953 movie The Little Fugitive returned soda bottles to collect money to go on the rides?

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Coney Island. June 22, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

4. “Opening Today: Coney Island Grimaldi’s Pizzeria,” June 23, 2012

After three months of construction, an outpost of the famed DUMBO pizzeria Grimaldi’s opened in Coney Island on Mermaid Parade Weekend. Located on the north side of Surf Avenue across the street from the amusement parks, its illuminated sign boasts a 3-D Brooklyn Bridge and a New York City skyline. Inside the cavernous space, vintage photos of old Coney Island and the City’s rendering of the new Coney Island line the brick walls. Despite Grimaldi’s policy of “No Credit Cards – No Reservations – No Slices – No Delivery,” the new restaurant quickly became a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Its success has helped make the north side of Surf attractive to national franchisees including a Johnny Rockets and an Applebee’s, who have snapped up leases on neighboring storefronts. Grimaldi’s is among the many local businesses that suffered flood damage from Sandy and is expected to reopen in the spring.

Thor Equities New Building at Surf & Stillwell. January 29, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

5. “Thor’s Coney Island: Generic New Building at Surf & Stillwell,” February 2, 2012

After seven years of real estate speculation and many grandiose renderings, the construction fencing came down from Thor Equities first-ever new construction in Coney Island (flea market tents don’t count) to reveal a sterile-looking building suited for a suburban mall. The site 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. A few weeks later, the vacant building was encased in plywood. Just before Christmas, Thor Equities announced a plan to lease space in the building to Brooklyn business owners at a 40% rent reduction for a one-year lease term, which makes us think it’s best suited for a “pop-up store.” As much as the building looks out of place in Coney Island, we hope it can be activated for some kind of creative use this summer.

Surviving century old trolley poles in front of Luna Park. February 20, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

6. “Thor Destroys 119-Year-Old Relics of Coney Trolley History,” February 21, 2012

When Thor Equities laid a new sidewalk on Surf Avenue in front of the building pictured in #5, two trolley utility poles which date back to the 1890s and had been documented in previous photos were demolished. What is the history of these humble artifacts? ATZ learned that when trolley service on the Surf Avenue-Seagate line ended on December 1, 1946, the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce requested that the poles on both sides of Surf Avenue be left in place in the amusement area to be used for holiday decorations. Ten years ago, 64 poles were counted. There are currently 43 poles along Surf Avenue, including the ones in front of Luna Park pictured above, which are painted red, white and blue.

Employees at Luna Park Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita

7. “Summer Jobs: From Coney Island to the Carnival Midway,” February 24, 2012

While we got hits on this post throughout the year, February is the time to begin applying for a job if you’d like to work in Coney Island or travel across the country with a carnival. In 2012, Central Amusement International, operator of Coney Island’s Luna Park and Scream Zone, and Nathan’s Famous, together with the Coney Island Development Corporation, announced their first recruitment event for seasonal positions at the end of February with subsequent events in March and April. Seasonal jobs include Ride and Game Operators, Food and Beverage Service, Park Service, Customer Service/Retail Sales and Ticket Sales Associates/Cashiers. If the idea of traveling to 20 states and 4 Canadian provinces, including 10 of the top 50 fairs in North America is appealing, then you may want to check out North American Midway Entertainment’s Careers page.

Eldorado Auto Skooter, Coney Island. Photo © Tricia Vita

8. “60 Years of Family History in Coney Island End with Sale of Eldorado,” March 20, 2012

In March, Sheila Buxbaum Fitlin and Sandy Fitlin, whose families have operated businesses in Coney Island for more than six decades, sold the building that houses the Eldorado Auto Skooters and Arcade on Surf Avenue to Thor Equities. Their son Scott Fitlin was the DJ extraordinaire of Surf Avenue’s legendary disco palace of “Bump, Bump, Bump Your Ass Off” bumper cars and his untimely death at the age of 48 had left the attraction’s future in question. As it turned out, Gordon Lee who managed both the bumper cars and the arcade for the Fitlins after their son’s death, was able to negotiate a one-year lease with Thor and operated the business for the season. After a “Last Ride 2012 Party” on the eve of Hurricane Sandy, the Eldorado is expected to ride again this summer. The good news is Lee, who bought the equipment from the Fitlins last year, won a lease extension with reduced rent from Thor. The bad news is flooding from the storm soaked both the ride and the arcade, which will need costly repairs. Check out our original post to see the last music video shot at the Eldorado Auto Skooters just a few weeks before the storm.

New Boardwalk Section of Wood over Concrete. February 20, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

9. “The 10 People Who Will Decide the Fate of Coney Island Boardwalk,” March 9, 2012

When we wrote this post to alert readers to the twice-postponed hearing before the City’s Public Design Commission to decide the fate of the Coney Island Boardwalk, we naively believed that the PDC would conduct a fair hearing, despite the fact that quotes in a New York Times article indicated two of the Commissioners had been persuaded by Parks to support the plan in advance. At the previous hearing in October, they refused to approve the Parks Department’s plan and said that more environmental and engineering studies were needed to address the questions that they had. A few weeks after the hearing we wrote this follow-up post titled “The Coney Island-Brighton Beach Concretewalk Blues,” March 22, 2012:

Sign on Building Facing Boardwalk East of Ocean Pkwy in Brighton Beach. Photo © Bruce Handy

“The way the meeting was conducted made a mockery of democracy and public hearings. Only seven commissioners showed up and one –Alice Aycock– left early, kissing her colleagues goodbye in the middle of someone’s testimony. How does it happen that in a city of more than 8 million people, six people get to decide the fate of the Coney Island Boardwalk and appear to have decided in advance of the so-called public hearing?” A ten-foot-wide Concrete Lane for so-called “emergency vehicles” and an adjoining Plasticwalk were unanimously approved by the Commissioners for a pilot project in Brighton Beach. In December, Judge Martin Solomon, who self-importantly told the courtroom that he knew “more about the boardwalk than probably anybody here,” ruled that the Parks Department could go ahead with the plan without doing additional environmental studies requested by Boardwalk advocates in a lawsuit. If you count the judge, seven people got to decide the fate of the Coney Island Boardwalk.

Brooklyn Beach Shop and Scream Zone, Coney Island Boardwalk. May 26, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita

10. “Photo Album: Coney Island Lights & Signs of the Times,” May 29, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend in Coney Island saw the debut of new lights and signage as well as the return of some old favorites. Making their debut were the Coney Island Raceway Sign for Scream Zone’s Go Karts and the solar-powered lights on Deno’s Wonder Wheel. Ruby’s and Paul’s Daughter opened their renovated stores on the Coney Island Boardwalk and brought back some of their hand-painted signs advertising clams and fried shrimp. The new look for the Boardwalk includes lighted custom signs replacing much of the vernacular signage of recent decades. One of the Boardwalk’s new stores, the Brooklyn Beach Shop, features a glass-fronted storefront with custom brickwork and a 6-foot-tall stone Steeplechase face. Lola Star’s fashionably skinny boutique on the Boardwalk is crowned with a dazzling sign of blinking white lights encircling a pink neon “Lola Star” designed by the shop’s eponymous owner.

In Thor’s Coney Island, Discount on Retail Ride of a Lifetime

Posted in Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged Coney Island, pop-up store, Retail Ride of a Lifetime, Stillwell Avenue, Surf Avenue, Thor Equities on December 24, 2012| 2 Comments »

View of Thor Equities Vacant Building from Stillwell Terminal in Coney Island on January 29, 2012. The building is currently boarded up with a plywood mural. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

A press release from Thor Equities offers potential good news for Brooklyn retailers and restaurateurs who’d like to open a pop-up store or get a foot in the door of the new Coney Island: “Thor To Add Local Flavor To Coney Island By Leasing Major Surf Avenue Parcels To Local Brooklyn Merchants At Reduced Rents For 2013.” The idea is to fully lease Joe Sitt’s new building at Surf and Stillwell for the summer of 2013.

Vacant since its unveiling last January, the sterile looking building was soon boarded up with plywood. It is currently dressed up with a Funny Face mural and a sign advertising “CONEY ISLAND – The RETAIL RIDE of a LIFETIME” with a phone number to call for leasing opportunities.

New Coney Island ‘Funny Face’ Mural on Thor Equities Building at Surf and Stillwell. May 28, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

As ATZ reported last week, Johnny Rockets, Red Mango and Applebee’s franchisees recently signed leases with property owners on the north side of Surf, where sources said the rent was one third the price of Thor’s building on the south side. How enticing is Thor’s rent reduction?

“While each location within the 15,000 square foot property is taken on a case-by-case basis, generally Sitt is reducing each unit in the vicinity of about 40 per cent,” Thor spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg told ATZ. “The building is divided into four storefronts. Three are vacant and one has been leased to a national company.” In addition, the Eldorado Bumper Cars and Arcade, which is a couple of doors away in a building purchased last year by Thor Equities, will also be the beneficiary of a rent reduction. This couldn’t have come at a better time since the Eldorado was damaged by Sandy and needs costly repairs to reopen.

Eldorado Auto Skooters Sign by Steve Powers, Surf Avenue in Coney Island. September 5, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

On December 15th, Thor Equities filed plans with the Department of Buildings for general construction for a new retail build-out inclusive of partitions and installation of mechanical equipment, duct work and plumbing fixtures. The original floorplan for 1232 Surf promised more than a dozen spaces including a row of 250-square-foot spaces on the Bowery side, outdoor seating on Henderson Walk and a 3,050 square foot roof deck.

Thor is teaming up with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to help recruit tenants, according to Chamber president Carlo Scissura. “This program is especially important in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and will go a long way in making sure that Coney Island remains a vibrant neighborhood and tourist attraction as well as a place where small businesses can thrive and Brooklynites can get jobs,” said Scissura.

Thor’s Coney Island: Stillwell Avenue side of Joe Sitt’s new building. January 29, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

The biggest surprise of the press release was what Thor CEO Joe Sitt had to say about chains vs local businesses: “Coney Island’s popularity has reached record proportions, but we can never forget what got us here – local, ahead-of-their-time business owners who brought flair, hipness and edge to the People’s Playground,” Sitt said. “While it is wonderful that national chains are now coming to Coney, providing needed jobs and year-round revenue to the community, we must always remember the history of this iconic neighborhood.”

In the documentary “Zipper,” Joe Sitt reads a list of national chains that he wants to bring to the new Coney Island. It sounds like Any Vacation Spot USA: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Dave and Buster’s, Hard Rock, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Howie’s Game Factory, Build-A-Bear Workshop. Has Sitt, who was reviled in 2008 as the Grinch who stole Coney Island for locking out small business owners on Christmas Eve, evolved into a Santa for Mom-and-Pops? Hey, we hope so. Only time and the new building’s tenants will tell.

Thinkwell’s rendering for Thor’s Temporary One-Story Building in Coney Island. April 2010

The one-story building at 1232 Surf Avenue is Thor Equities’ first new construction in Coney Island. It was built on the site of the century-old Henderson Music Hall, which was doomed when the City rezoned the parcel for a high-rise “hotel” in July 2009. The City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission denied landmark designation and also declined to create a historic district, which would have created tax incentives to rehab the building.

Henderson’s began as a restaurant at Bowery and Henderson Walk in 1881 and included a music hall featuring such music and vaudeville acts as Al Jolson, the Marx Brothers, and Sophie Tucker. From 1926 to 1984, the building housed the World in Wax Musee. Tenants who lost their leases after Thor bought the property or due to the demolition in 2010 include the Velocity Nightclub and Popeye’s Chicken, which has since relocated to the Popper Building. The Fascination arcade owner moved his business (renamed Game World) to another Thor-owned property on Surf.

One of the saddest losses was the Fascination Arcade’s bare bulb sign which dated back to the 1930s. It was illuminated year-round and was a welcome sight to see upon exiting Stillwell Terminal. Also missed are the individually owned concession games like Shoot Out The Star, Balloon Raceing [sic] and the Balloon Dart on the Stillwell and Bowery sides of the building. Is there anyone besides this former carny kid and game operator who is going to lament the fact that these old school amusements are gone forever from this corner of Coney Island?