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Thru Oct 17: Blues & Rock Salute to JT at Cha Cha’s of Coney Island

Posted in Events, Redevelopment, tagged Bluesball, Cha-Cha's, Coney Island Boardwalk, John Thomas, Kenny Lombardi, Robert Ross, Ruby's, Zamperla on October 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Robert Ross Band at Cha Cha's of Coney Island. October 15, 2010. Copyright © Kenny Lombardi 2010. All Rights Reserved.

ATZ enjoyed some great music and great company last night at Cha Cha’s in Coney Island. The fact that both the 2010 season and the leases of the Boardwalk businesses end on October 31 makes us appreciate the good times even more. Last night, Robert “Bluesman” Ross and his Bluesmanian Devils played some smoking hot blues and kicked off a weekend tribute to JT.

John Thomas, who passed away in September, was the general manager of Cha Cha’s and its predecessor Club Atlantis for many years. He gave quite a few bands their start, which is reflected in the line up for Sunday’s all-day jam session: Classic Rock with Girls on Top, Bridgid Bibbens of Viper Vixens, Mel “Guitar” Williams, Amy Madden, Phoenix Rivera, Stephen Porro and Paul Sanchez are among the musicians who will perform beginning at 2:30 pm.

ATZ will be back on the Boardwalk tonight to hang out at Ruby’s with South Brooklyn bloggers Brian Hedden of BK Southie and Ned Berke of Sheepshead Bites, among others. Then we’ll adjourn to Cha Cha’s to catch Bluesball’s set. The group performs music by Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Little Walter, and Howling Wolf. Perhaps they will play “How Many More Years”…

Cha Cha's Bar & Cafe on the Boardwalk in Coney Island. June 1, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

Last night we asked John “Cha Cha” Ciarcia, owner of Cha Cha’s and nearby Beer Island, if he expected to be back next year. “I’ll be back,” he vowed, “If they let me.” Ciarcia and other longtime business owners on the Boardwalk were required to submit business proposals to new landlord Luna Park/Zamperla to qualify for a 9-year lease. The City purchased the land from Thor Equities last year. Zamperla USA CEO Valerio Ferrari tells us some of the Boardwalk businesses will be back in 2011 and some won’t. Will the good times roll in 2011 at Cha Cha’s and Ruby’s? An announcement is expected on October 31. In the meantime, go and enjoy the last few weeks of the season. If you have a sentimental favorite, take some photos as a souvenir. Word on the street is the Boardwalk is going to look a lot different next season.

Coney Island 2011: Zamperla Adding Steeplechase Cavalry Coaster to Scream Zone

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, tagged Coney Island 2011, Luna Park, MotoCoaster, roller coaster, Scream Zone, Steeplechase Ride, Volare, Zamperla on October 4, 2010| 1 Comment »

Coney Island Bound: Zamperla's Motocoaster themed as Steeplechase Cavalry Coaster. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

In a presentation at last week’s “What’s Next for Coney Island?” panel at CUNY, Valerio Ferrari, President and CEO of Zamperla USA/CAI gave the public its first look at renderings of the four rides set to open at Luna Park’s new Scream Zone in Spring 2011. Two of the rides are Zamperla coasters: a Steeplechase Cavalry-themed MotoCoaster and an American Eagle-themed Volare flying coaster.

Here’s the original commercial for Zamperla’s horseback “Pony Express” launch coaster at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., where it opened on Memorial Day Weekend in 2008. The prototype- a MotoCoaster with motorcycle seats–opened at Darien Lake in upstate New York, also in 2008.

Last February, ATZ posted “Steeplechase Express: Will Zamperla MotoCoaster Pony Up for Coney Island?” In reply to our query, Ferrari confided that they were then considering having the public decide which type of MotoCoaster seats–motorcycles or horses- would be used. As it turns out, there’s no need for a poll. The Coney Island theming is just the ticket for the new Luna Park. The crescent moons and pinwheel logos on Surf Avenue’s magnificent entrance pay homage to the whimsical gate of the original Luna Park. At the same time, the logo on the Spinning Mouse Coaster, renamed the Tickler in honor of Coney’s William F Mangels pioneering ride, is the Steeplechase Funny Face. A more manic version of the grinning face is also the logo for Scream Zone.

Inspired by Steeplechase Park’s signature horse race ride that made a circuit around the park, Zamperla is bringing in the cavalry! The Zamperla Steeplechase Cavalry Coaster takes its inspiration from the Steeplechase ride, but it does differ quite a bit in design. Most notably, the horses are part of a single train instead of racing against each other on multiple tracks. Another big difference: The ride’s seating design and restraint system was designed to comply with current-day safety standards.

Vintage postcard of George C Tilyou's Steeplechase Ride, which closed in 1964. The Coney Island History Project has an original Steeplechase horse on display.

According to Zamperla’s website:

The Pony Express comes with two trains, each accommodating up to 16 riders in an innovative pedestal seating design that maximizes safety, comfort and ride freedom. Using the time tested flywheel and clutch launch system, the PONY EXPRESS delivers a high energy ride with low energy costs. Seated two abreast on their own horses, 16 riders are treated to an exhilarating launch from 0–60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 2.5 seconds. The horses then race to the finish line along a 450 meter (1476 ft) track reaching heights of 14.7mt (48 ft.) through a breathtaking series of exciting 65 degree banked turns. Like the MotoCoaster, the PONY EXPRESS can be adapted to any theme. Let Zamperla design a custom layout and specialized theme for your venue.

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

Additional rides planned for the new Scream Zone include Zamperla’s Turbo Force and a SlingShot high thrill ride from Funtime. The newly re-themed American Eagle made its debut as the Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian, at Denver’s Elitch Gardens in 2002. Zamperla/CAI has a ten-year lease to operate amusements on the 6.9 acres the City bought for $95.6 million from Thor Equities. Zamperla’s Scream Zone will be located on “Parcels B & C, ” the City-owned property at Stillwell and the Boardwalk. The thrill park is expected to open in 2011.

Sept 30: Luna Park CEO, Former Disney VP, Historians to Discuss “What’s Next for Coney Island?”

Posted in Events, historic preservation, Redevelopment, tagged amusement park, Coney Island, CUNY Graduate Centr, free event, Luna Park, Panel Discussion, Save Coney Island, Zamperla on September 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

On Thursday, September 30, CUNY Graduate Center and Save Coney Island are co-hosting “Heritage, Rides, Redevelopment: What’s Next for Coney Island?,” a discussion moderated by Pulitzer prize winning historian Mike Wallace. This is one panel discussion we’re actually looking forward to because the panelists are not academic talk, no-action kind of guys. They’re in it to win it, as we say on the midway.

Speakers include Valerio Ferrari, president and CEO of Zamperla USA and Central Amusement International (CAI), operator of Coney Island’s fabulously successful new Luna Park; David Malmuth, former Disney vice-president, developer of Times Square’s New Amsterdam Theatre, and chief presenter of the Municipal Art Society’s “Imagine Coney”; and Michael Immerso, historian and author of “Coney Island: the People’s Playground” and a recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on the benefits of preserving Surf Avenue’s historic buildings.

Save Coney Island released this architectural rendering of how a restored Bank Of Coney Building might look as The Banker's Ballroom

Admission is free to the September 30th event, which is being held at CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan, but it’s advisable to make a reservation online. The invite reads: “What lies ahead for Coney Island? Join us for a panel discussion on the latest developments in Coney Island and on how Coney’s past can shape its future.”

We’re eager to hear what Valerio Ferrari has to say about his company’s plans for next season and beyond. Zamperla/CAI has a ten-year lease to operate amusements on the 6.9 acres the City bought for $95.6 million from Thor Equities. As we pointed out in our article for IAAPA Funworld, the new Luna Park is a partnership with the City of New York, which receives $100,000 annual rent plus an undisclosed percentage of the gross. This arrangement represents a successful new model for government-owned amusement parks, which are a rarity.

Yesterday, the Mayor’s Office released figures that more than 400,000 visitors took 1.7 million rides during Luna Park’s inaugural season, prompting the City and the park to extend the season through Halloween. We’re thrilled that Scream Zone, set to open next spring at the Boardwalk and Stillwell, will bring in more new rides, including two Zamperla coasters and a SlingShot as well as Go Karts, which have been missed in Coney since Thor evicted them.

Zamperla/CAI's Scream Zone with 4 new rides will debut in 2011 at the City's Stillwell & Boardwalk property. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

It will be interesting to see where David Malmuth takes up the discussion. His plan for Coney Island’s amusement area at MAS’s Imagine Coney event in 2008 was a huge hit with fellow amusement advocates. Though we lost the battle with the City to expand the acreage rezoned for outdoor amusements, Malmuth is still the guy who dazzled us with statistics: “Park sizing analysis suggests that Coney Island will require a minimum of 25 acres to support 3.4 million visitors, ” he said. “It can’t be done in 9 acres. No possible way you can create the variety, and the diversity and joy and excitement with only 9 acres. Minimally you need 25 acres to support that level of attendance.” Malmuth’s stats and charts of park attendance can be found in this pdf available on MAS’s website.

At CUNY, Malmuth and historian Michael Immerso are expected to make a compelling economic case for preserving and reusing Coney Island’s historic buildings. Unfortunately the City has already issued demolition permits to Thor Equities for two of the buildings, the Bank of Coney Island and the Shore Hotel. The heartbreaker is that the permits were issued by the City’s Department of Buildings one day after the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) declared that Coney Island meets the criteria for recognition as a historic district in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. That’s why we’re singin’ “It’s Gonna Take A Miracle.”

But as Save Coney Island notes on their website: “It is a miracle that any of these buildings survived the fires, land speculation, and urban renewal plans that decimated Coney Island over the years. It would be a shame to lose these rare survivors, just when their rehabilitation could provide a necessary boost to Coney’s revival.”

“What’s Next for Coney Island?” is sponsored by the Environmental Psychology Program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, the NYC Graduate Urban Research Network, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Save Coney Island, the Historic Districts Council, Coney Island USA and the Coney Island History Project.

“Heritage, Rides, Redevelopment: What’s Next for Coney Island?”
CUNY Graduate Center, Proshansky Auditorium, 365 5th Ave at 35th St,
Thursday, September 30, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, free event, online registration.