Wednesday, January 21, 2009

City's gonna mess up Coney Island

From the NY Post:

Mayor Bloomberg's plan to revitalize Coney Island could mean the end of the original Nathan's Famous hot-dog stand.

That revelation is hidden deep within the draft of the 47-acre rezoning plan's environmental-impact statement, which the city submitted yesterday.

The Nathan's site - which opened at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in 1916 - could make way for more lucrative development should land values skyrocket once the rezoning is approved.

"Nathan's Famous restaurant...is assumed to be replaced under the proposed actions with a new building containing hotel, amusement, retail and enhancing uses," according to the city document.


Nathan's denies it has intentions to move or close its original Coney Island location.

Meanwhile, Crain's reports:

The main element of the new amusement district will be a 12-acre park that will knit together the Cyclone, the boardwalk and other Coney Island icons. Right now, the city owns about half of that land and pledges to continue negotiating for the rest.

However, the city has been negotiating with Joe Sitt of Thor Equities, one of the main landowners in the area, and made little progress. Those talks have now stalled and the city's rezoning plan may not get them re-started.


Why not just use eminent domain? Or is that only reserved for small businesses and homeowners and not something rich developers have to be concerned about?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quick landmark Nathans or does that defeat the purpose of doing so? What is the purpose of landmarking - preserving a unique building or structure or a memory of what was and no longer?

Anonymous said...

Unique building or structure. Nathan's most likely would continue to operate out of Coney Island, but sell the site for big bucks.

Anonymous said...

Willets Point is blighted. Coney Island is not.

Anonymous said...

When did it become the job of a mayor to be planning the use of private property owned by private citizens?

The reason the Commissar is such a failure is that he fails to manage what he was hired to actually manage: the city agencies that consume our tax dollars like furnaces.

If he wants to be a developer, let him use his own money and take his own risks. Otherwise, go back to Boston.

Anonymous said...

It was told to me by the son of an old Steeplechase Park concessioner that the family who owns Nathan's was always fighting any improvements that would have allowed Coney Island to continue to remain an attraction going way back to at least 35 years or more.

If that's so let their
hot dog empire vanish into memory.

Only God knows what parts of the
beef goes into their "beef" franks anyway!

Now Nathan's has moved into the high the end real estate market
and will be getting mega bucks for their prime site!

You've got to sell a hell of a lot of krinkle cut French fries to beat that kind of deal!

Anonymous said...

Have you been to Coney within the past 30 years or so? It most certainly qualifies as blighted. Empty lots. Run down buildings. Rampant crime. Qualifies for blight more than Manhattanville or Willets Point!

LibertyBoyNYC said...

It's blighted, alright.

I'm with taxpayer. Bloomie is no developer, and besides, the city is footing the bill for all the impact statements and research and so forth. Let private entities do as they will.

Regarding Nathan's, the more I think about it, the more I say: "it's just HOT DOGS, people!"

Anonymous said...

What is the purpose of landmarking - preserving a unique building or structure or a memory of what was and no longer?
---------

The purpose of landmarking is to protect upperclass white communities from getting paid back for the same crap they deal out to everyone else.

(oh yes, and enjoy the public purse for sustaining their priv. enclaves.)

Next question.

Anonymous said...

Let private entities do as they will.

Heard of the mortgage crisis, buddy? That's what happens when private entities do what they please with no oversight.

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting as always to see what they actually do to the area.The developers and inbred mayor that is.Reasonably thinking there could be a few spots and buildings fixed up.But my god all those projects?The greedy developers would not be able to shove that into a corner making it some sterile six flags with yuppie condos and hotels.

Anonymous said...

Landmarking is White man's law!

I stand with Snake Plissskin.

Time to dump it!

It's inequitable and racist!

ONLY WHEN IT APPLIES TO ALL COMMUNITIES REGARDLESS OF RACE COLOR CREED NATIONALITY OR ECONOMIC STATUS CAN IT BE CONSIDERED BEING DEMOCRATIC!

The elite still rule in NYC!

Queens is considered #4 by the LPC
judging by the amount of designated landmark sites we possess!

YOU CAN'T ERASE OR QUALITY THAT NUMBER CHAIRMAN TIERNEY (Bloomberg's stooge)!

Anonymous said...

just like they'll mess up willets point

Anonymous said...

Only God knows what parts of the
beef goes into their "beef" franks anyway!


ok biggie

Anonymous said...

ONLY WHEN IT APPLIES TO ALL COMMUNITIES REGARDLESS OF RACE COLOR CREED NATIONALITY OR ECONOMIC STATUS CAN IT BE CONSIDERED BEING DEMOCRATIC!

NATIONALITY??? TAKE YOUR CAPS LOCK OFF, AND THE BAG OF SCOTCH GUARD AWAY FROM YOUR MOUTH. LET YOUR HEAD CLEAR, THEN TRY THAT AGAIN.

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