The Coney Casino and The Sopranos

 

The never-ending intrigue surrounding the Coney Casino project is beginning to resemble an episode of The Sopranos. Patricia Lynch, a notoriously shady Albany lobbyist hired by the Coney Casino crew, is targeting Coney Island’s Councilmember Justin Brannan, allegedly trying to turn him into another shill for the ill-conceived Coney Casino real estate deal.

Lynch is running an “independent expenditure committee” with assets of up to $100,000 provided by casino developer Thor Equities to support the campaign of Justin Brannan who’s running for New York City Comptroller. She’s also reportedly receiving $25,000 a month as the casino’s lobbyist.

That means that Brannan could be getting in bed with a lobbyist who in 2010 was implicated in a scheme to “arrange campaign contributions, gifts and even a job to gain access to Alan G. Hevesi, then the state comptroller, on behalf of clients seeking investments from the multibillion-dollar state pension fund,” as reported by the New York Times.

After the New York State Attorney General’s investigation into her shady practices, Lynch was banned from interacting with or contacting the New York State comptroller for a five-year period, and had to pay a $500,000 fine as punishment for what was part of a “pay-to-play” scheme. Now, years later, Lynch is at it again. 

With Lynch’s formation of a Brannan campaign committee, the casino crew isn’t hoping to “buy” only Brannan’s vote on the Coney Casino. They're hoping to influence the votes of the entire City Council because the council has a practice of “member deference” and usually follows the vote of the local councilmember. In other words, if Brannan supports the casino, the council will probably approve the casino’s request for an amendment that paves the way for demapping Coney Island streets for the casino.

Brannan has been slippery about whether he supports the casino plan. In a recent blaze of hypocrisy, Brannan filmed a campaign video that shows him in Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel Park and Luna Park using rides as backdrops. Both of these Coney Island businesses have come out strongly against the casino project and fear that the project’s years-long construction and operation will put them out of business. The Wonder Wheel and Luna Park have spent years recovering from Hurricane Sandy and the COVID pandemic closures. The owners have spent millions improving their parks only to find that a term-limited councilman could care less if they survive.

In May 2025 when I asked Brannan if he was supporting the casino, he said, “it’s not gonna happen, but I’m gonna let the process play out.” Brannan knows that the casino bid is a long shot but wants to keep up appearances while collecting campaign funds. 

Two former councilmembers have already been hired and have spent two years as paid shills for the Coney Casino, portraying the project as if it were some sort of charity that will benefit the community. Will Brannan soon be joining them on the casino payroll? If this project is such a great idea, why does it need so much lobbying? As always, there’s is a very thin line that separates “lobbying” and “quid pro quo.”

Watch the Sopranos episodes about the New Jersey Esplanade real estate deal and find out how Tony dealt with shady Assemblyman Ronald Zellman. It doesn’t end well. As far as Lynch is concerned, Tony Soprano would be proud of her.

- Charles Denson

 

 
posted Jun 19th, 2025 in By Charles Denson and tagged with
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June 12: NYC Council Land Use Hearing on Coney Casino

No Coney Casino

Next Thursday, June 12, at 11 AM, the New York City Council's Land Use Committee will hold a hearing about the Coney casino developer's proposal to de-map public streets and acquire air rights to build sky bridges and a hotel twice the height allowed by existing zoning. “I am asking the New York City Council Land Use Committee to reject the de-mapping of streets for the Coney casino project," says Charles Denson, Executive Director, Coney Island History Project. "The project’s Environmental Impact Statement reveals an out of scale monstrosity that will choke off and smother all surrounding business and destroy the fabric of the surrounding community.” Scroll down this page to read the rest of Charles Denson's comments.

If you don't want Coney Island to be replaced by casino, we urge you to testify at the June 12th hearing or submit written comments. To testify via Zoom or phone you must register at https://council.nyc.gov/land-use/ and click on “The Coney Development” link. You don’t need to register to testify in person, just show up at the hearing. The location is Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway, 16th Floor Committee Room, New York, NY 10007. You may submit written testimony to landusetestimony@council.nyc.gov up to 72 hours following the completion of the public hearing. You can view the timeline of upcoming hearings, reviews and votes on the de-mapping proposal in progress on City Planning's Zoning Application Portal at https://zap.planning.nyc.gov/projects/2024K0230.

Council Member Justin Brannan’s vote is extremely important because it’s customary for NYC Council members to vote with the local council member. Justin Brannan is term limited and currently running for citywide office as NYC Comptroller. Write or phone Justin Brannan, Councilman for the 47th District (Bay Ridge, Coney Island, Sea Gate and parts of Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Gravesend). 718 748-5200. AskJB@council.nyc.gov. Mail: District Office, 8203 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209.

In 2023 and 2024, the developer paid registered lobbyists over $400,000 to lobby elected and appointed officials and their staffs, including Council Member Justin Brannan, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Planning Commissioners, Office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, and Economic Development Corporation. (TSG Coney Island Entertainment Holdco LLC via lobbyistsearch.nyc.gov.)

Let your voices be heard by signing and sharing the petitions against the Coney Island casino organized by our friends and neighbors Coney Island USA and Luna Park. Over 9,000 people have signed Coney Island USA's petition since December, with dozens more signing every time it is shared via social media. Luna Park started their petition on June 4 with a plea to "Save Iconic Coney Island's Historic Amusement District."

After the full vote in the NYC Council, the Mayor has five days to review the City Council’s decision and issue a veto. Applicants must complete this local land-use/zoning process in order to be eligible for consideration by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, which is overseeing the commercial casino siting process in the Metro New York region. Casino applications will be due June 27, 2025.  For each proposed gaming site, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be formed, consisting of six representatives appointed by elected officials. The process to award the casino license is expected to come by the end of this year.

Statement by Charles Denson, Executive Director of the Coney Island History Project

I am asking the New York City Council Land Use Committee to reject the de-mapping of streets for the Coney casino project.

The project’s Environmental Impact Statement reveals an out of scale monstrosity that will choke off and smother all surrounding business and destroy the fabric of the surrounding community.

De-mapping of public streets is not needed. The developers are asking for the streets to be de-mapped so that they can buy air rights to build sky bridges connecting all the Thor Equities properties. The purpose of a sky bridge is to make sure that no one leaves the casino once they enter it. They want to cut people off from all surrounding streets and attractions and keep them inside gambling until their money runs out. The casino has a business plan based on gambling addiction.

The developers are asking to transform Stillwell Avenue into a pedestrian mall that will funnel people into the casino. Transforming Stillwell Avenue will severely limit emergency access to the beach, Boardwalk, and amusements for nearly a quarter-mile stretch of the world’s most crowded beachfront.

The developers also want to transform West 12th Street into a four lane driveway for the casino. The project’s environmental impact statement confirms that this will create a choke point and traffic nightmare at this intersection and all along Surf Avenue. According to the EIS, there is no way to remediate the severe problems associated with the casino project. De-mapping of streets will disrupt historic family-oriented businesses of Coney Island. The owners of Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Coney Island’s largest businesses, are opposed to the casino. The Community Board has voted against the casino. This land grab benefits no one but greedy developers.

The proposed casino is a dead whale on the shores of Coney Island. Please vote no on the casino and de-mapping Coney Island’s streets

Coney Casino Rendering
posted Jun 5th, 2025 in News and tagged with Coney Island, casino, NYC Council,...
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Brooklyn Wilds: Cyanotypes and Poetry by Amanda Deutch

Cyanotype by Amanda Deutch

The Coney Island History Project will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits on view from May 24 through September 1, 2025. Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Amanda Deutch: Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island that are not well known. Through the medium of photography, both shows complement each other by exploring the complexity of this New York City neighborhood. With this exhibit, we are introducing our new Wonder Gallery, a collaboration between Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch.

It has been said that the average American recognizes over 1000 logos and the products they’re related to and yet less than five plants or birds.”                                    

            — Brigitte Mars, Herbalist & Acclaimed Author                                                                                                 

Brooklyn Wilds uses the early photographic process of cyanotype printing to showcase native plants and weeds, alongside poetry. All of the cyanotypes in this show were created outdoors in Brooklyn by Amanda Deutch using available natural light. Many were made on-site at Coney Island Creek.

Printing cyanotypes outdoors can present challenges. “I was dependent upon the weather and sunlight. Sometimes the light is too bright or overcast or the wind is too strong. It can take many attempts to get an accurate print,” according to Deutch.

This project started very humbly. She was interested in making a cyanotype to preserve a dandelion or mugwort leaf. As soon as she printed one, it became a challenge to capture the essence of the plant or weed through the process.

“Why flowers? As someone who grew up in New York City, I am drawn to nature. As development and climate change devour Brooklyn’s natural landscape, pausing to recognize and appreciate weeds and native flowers along the City’s edges is a radical act.” Most of us hardly notice the plants all around us. Otherwise known as “plant blindness,” they are often seen as background rather than for the fundamental role that they play in the Earth’s biosphere. Plants help regulate the Earth’s climate and are essential for food production and oxygen release.

All of the plants and flowers in Brooklyn Wilds were sourced locally in Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn. Humans are losing pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, at a time when we desperately need more pollination for our food supply. Seaside goldenrod can be found at the edges of the beach near the boardwalk and along Coney Island Creek. Considered a disruptive weed by many, wild dandelions are valuable and can be found everywhere! They are a highly resilient plant that boasts immense nutritional value, both for pollinators and humans. These are a few examples of the local weeds and plants in this show that can be found in Coney Island.

Amanda Deutch is a poet and the founding director of the nonprofit Parachute Literary Arts in Coney Island. A born and raised New Yorker, generations of her family have called Coney Island home. Deutch's book new york ironweed won Fence's 2025 Ottoline Prize (forthcoming). Her cyanotypes are published in WFMU’s LCD, Hot Pink, and Warmly Zine. Deutch’s poetry has been published in The Brooklyn Rail, The New York Times, and Oversound, among others. The author of several chapbooks, including Bodega Night Pigeon Riot and Surf Avenue & 29th Street, Coney Island, she lives in Brooklyn where she often looks for flowers in the cracks of the sidewalk.

The Coney Island History Project exhibition center is open free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Our hours are 1:00 PM-7:00 PM. We're located at 3059 West 12th Street, next to the West 12th Street entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk.

Cyanotype by Amanda Deutch

 
posted May 11th, 2025 in Events and tagged with Coney Island History Project, exhibition, Amanda Deutch,...
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Coney Island Streets: Photographs by Charles Denson

Charles Denson Dans Barbershop

Dan's Barber Shop, West 16th Street, 1973. Photo © Charles Denson.

The Coney Island History Project will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits on view from May 24 through September 1, 2025. Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Amanda Deutch: Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island that are not well known. Through the medium of photography, both shows complement each other by exploring the complexity of this New York City neighborhood. With this exhibit, we are introducing our new Wonder Gallery, a collaboration between Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch.

Charles Denson grew up in the West End of Coney Island and as a teenager began photographing the surrounding neighborhood as it was transformed by an ill-conceived Urban Renewal program that called for the demolition of 60 blocks of homes and businesses.

“I grew up to the sounds of fire engines and bulldozers as block after block of viable housing went up in flames or was reduced to rubble under the treads of heavy machinery. None of the structures in my photographs has survived.”

Coney Island resembled a “war zone” during the years 1965 to 1975. Government funding for urban renewal projects ran out in 1974 and the community was left a debris field of burned out structures and closed businesses.

The exhibit shows the effects of discriminatory policies that began back in 1938 when the federal government “redlined” Coney Island. Redlining targeted the area because of prejudice against immigrants, African Americans, and local residents who were predominantly of Jewish, Italian, and Irish ancestry.  The flawed policies of the Federal Housing Administration made it nearly impossible for homeowners to obtain mortgages, loans, and insurance. Slumlords, arsonists, greedy developers, and block-busting took advantage of the situation and quality of life deteriorated as the area became a poverty pocket.

“My photographs show how resilient the neighborhood proved to be as residents survived as best they could with what remained. During this ten year period I photographed portraits of local residents, family-run businesses, and the dramatic day-to-day changes taking place in Coney Island.”

Charles Denson is the executive director of the nonprofit Coney Island History Project. He grew up in Coney Island and began documenting his neighborhood as a boy, a passion that continues to this day. His first book, Coney Island: Lost and Found, was named 2002 New York Book of the Year by the New York Society Library. He is the also author of Wild Ride: A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family! (2007), Coney Island and Astroland (2011), and Coney Island's Wonder Wheel Park (2020). A writer, photographer and art director, Denson began his career in 1971 as a photographer for New York Magazine.

The Coney Island History Project exhibition center is open free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Our hours are 1:00 PM-7:00 PM. We're located at 3059 West 12th Street, next to the West 12th Street entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk.

32nd Street Kids Charles Denson

Kids playing on mattresses, West 32nd Street, 1969. Photo © Charles Denson.

 
posted May 11th, 2025 in Events and tagged with
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May 24: Coney Island History Project Opens for the Season

Coney Island History Project 2025

The Coney Island History Project will open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend with two new exhibits on view from May 24 through September 1, 2025. Charles Denson: Coney Island Streets: 1965–1975 and Amanda Deutch: Brooklyn Wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of Coney Island that are not well known. Through the medium of photography, both shows complement each other by exploring the complexity of this New York City neighborhood.  With this exhibit we are introducing our new Wonder Gallery, a collaboration between Charles Denson and Amanda Deutch.

Also on view at the exhibition center are historic artifacts, photographs, maps, ephemera and films of Coney Island's colorful past. Visitors are invited to take free souvenir photos with "Cy," the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops, and Coney Island's only original Steeplechase horse from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name. 

Since the History Project's inception in 2004 with a portable recording booth on the Boardwalk and the inaugural season of our exhibition center in 2007, we have proudly offered "Free Admission for One and All!” The exhibition center is open free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Our hours are 1:00 PM-7:00 PM. We're located at 3059 West 12th Street, next to the West 12th Street entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, just a few steps off the Boardwalk.

The Coney Island History Project's free outdoor banner exhibits have returned to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park for the 2025 season. The banners will be on view from Memorial Day Weekend through the end of October during park hours. The Wonder Wheel and the Immigrant Dream tells the remarkable story of the Wonder Wheel and the family that operates Deno's Wonder Wheel Park. The colorful history banners are located on the Wheel's walkway adjacent to the History Project, as well as below Deno's Phoenix Roller Coaster.

An installation of history panels in front of the Astroland Moon Rocket is located in the lower park, across from the Bumper Cars and adjacent to the Wonder Wheel. Installed in 2022, this permanent exhibit honors Coney’s space-age attraction that debuted at the dawn of the space race in 1962 and the 60th anniversary of the opening of Astroland Park. Visitors can go inside the Rocket and watch The Rocket Has Landed, a film by Charles Denson.

Coney Island History Project Exhibition Center

 
posted May 11th, 2025 in Events and tagged with
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Reynoso vs. Riegelmann: A Casino and a Legacy

 

Brooklyn Borough President Riegelmann, holding rope, opened the Boardwalk and new streets in 1923. CIHP photo illustration

A century ago, Coney Island’s shoreline was private and fenced off to the public and a fee had to be paid to access the beach and ocean. In 1918 newly elected Brooklyn Borough President Edward Riegelmann proposed a visionary plan to take back the beach and make it public property. Not only did he accomplish this goal, but he also built the Coney Island Boardwalk and opened two dozen new streets between Surf Avenue and the beach. It wasn’t an easy task to raise the funding to claw back property from wealthy landowners, but he did it. Riegelmann wasn’t a ceremonial Borough President. He was someone who fought hard and got things done for the public good.

Borough President Antonio Reynoso is now in a position to uphold and preserve the difficult work that his predecessor accomplished. Will Reynoso approve a billionaire slumlord’s attempt to privatize and demap the two most important public streets in Coney Island’s amusement zone, or will he have the guts to save what Riegelmann created? 

Demapping public streets is not needed for the casino project. It’s just a greedy land grab by a questionable developer. There is no good reason to give up the last remnant of the historic Bowery for a casino. There is no reason to transform Stillwell Avenue into a pedestrian mall that serves as a feeder ramp for a casino. Turning West 12th Street into a four-lane driveway is one of the most egregious and damaging projects that Coney Island has ever seen, a plan that will cut off and kill off surrounding business and hinder emergency access.

Is Reynoso strong enough and smart enough to withstand the lies of big money and bad planning? Does he care about his legacy? Does he want to be remembered as the man who sided with a slumlord and took Coney Island down? Does he really believe the lies and false promises of someone with a miserable track record? Does he really care about Coney Island? Does Reynoso want to be enshrined in the Hall of Shame with Fred Trump and Robert Moses?

We shall see.

(You can send your written comments to the Borough President at testimony@brooklynbp.nyc.gov no later than Friday, March 14th, 2025.)

-Charles Denson
posted Mar 11th, 2025 in News and tagged with Coney Island, Brooklyn Borough President, Edward Riegelmann,...
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A 'bold new vision for Coney Island'?

Coney West rendering 2007

Conceptual rendering of Coney Island Master Plan released in 2007 by the Bloomberg administration in the lead-up to the 2009 rezoning shows residential towers north and west of the ballpark including on the parking lot (Parcel A). Credit: Holm Architecture Office via CIDC/NYCEDC Press Kit, 2007.

The recently announced “bold new vision” plan for Coney Island is not "new," it’s not "bold," and it’s certainly not visionary. This plan is part of the 2009 Bloomberg rezoning that greatly reduced the Coney Island amusement zone. For some reason it’s being recycled to make it seem as if New York’s troubled Mayor Adams is behind it.

Building high-rises on the 1,000-car parking lot (“Parcel A”) that serves Coney Island’s minor league ballpark is the last segment of the 2009 rezoning plan to take effect and it will have a devastating effect on the future of Coney Island. When construction begins, it will be the death knell for the Brooklyn Cyclones as fans, families, and visitors will no longer have any place to park.

What’s ironic is that Mayor Adams, a Trump flunky, is now fulfilling developer Fred Trump’s dream of putting “Miami Beach-style” high-rises on the old Steeplechase site, a scheme that was stopped cold by the City Council in the 1960s after Fred Trump demolished the historic Steeplechase Pavilion.

After the City bought the site from Fred Trump in the 1980s, it was rezoned as a public park, the only “special events” park in the City of New York. It remained a 10-acre public park until it was taken by Mayor Giuliani to build KeySpan Park, where the Brooklyn Cyclones play. The parking lot remained as public parkland, even though it was paved over for parking.

2025 Coney West Rendering

Conceptual rendering of Coney Island West, including development of housing on ballpark parking lot (Parcel A) and Abe Stark renovations released on February 20, 2025. Credit: ONE Architecture & Urbanism via NYC Mayor's Office.

Bloomberg’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) decided to remove the parkland designation and rezone the parking lot for high-rise residential housing. This involved a complicated state approved process called Alienation, that requires parkland taken for other purposes be replaced with equal acreage at another site. In reality, the parkland was never replaced, the EDC just purchased property in the amusement zone and called it parkland.

A positive part of this plan is the preservation and restoration of the Abe Stark Rink, which Bloomberg and the EDC had originally scheduled for demolition. The real reason it’s being saved is that the rezoning required that a new rink be constructed and opened at another site before demolition of the Abe Stark Rink could begin. That requirement was never fulfilled. The renovated rink will have a long overdue Boardwalk entrance. Coincidentally, a month ago I submitted a request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to have the Abe Stark Rink landmarked.

The Army Corps resiliency plan for flood control on Coney Island Creek, and the elevation of the Boardwalk, are existing plans that have been in the works for several years, and not something new. Somehow these existing proposals have been thrown together and hyped as some sort of new “visionary” plan for Coney Island.

The only new part of the Coney Island plan is that an RFP has been released to build high-rises surrounding the Parachute Jump. Brooklyn Cyclones baseball ushered in a new era of revival and appreciation for Coney Island. The joy and support for the team and for Coney Island is being eradicated by a ruinous project that will eliminate views of the Parachute Jump and add to the terrible new construction that’s rising in a vulnerable flood zone. 

It’s a shame that the old Steeplechase Park site is being lost as it had multiple uses. It’s not just a parking lot. It's the last open waterfront space in the area, and has hosted numerous fairs, and circuses, and other special events. The lot was taken over by FEMA after Superstorm Sandy and used to store all the rebuilding supplies for Coney Island. The EDC is replacing a 1,000-car open space with 160 parking spots. The loss of what is now Coney Island’s only parking facility will kill the ballpark that brought baseball back to Brooklyn. It’s the most unimaginative and tragic misuse of a unique and irreplaceable portion of New York City.

-Charles Denson, Executive Director

Abe Stark Rink Photo by Charles Denson

Abe Stark Rink saved! Photo: Charles Denson

 
posted Feb 22nd, 2025 in By Charles Denson and tagged with Coney Island, Development, Mayor Eric Adams,...
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Update on Coney Casino Hearings and Timeline

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Coney Island

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Coney Island.

Do you live, work and/or play in Coney Island? Community Board 13 hearings, including this Wednesday, January 22, are the first of many crucial hearings and votes on the Coney casino project. “The project’s Environmental Impact Statement reveals an out of scale monstrosity that will choke off and smother all surrounding business and destroy the fabric of the surrounding community,” said Charles Denson, Executive Director, Coney Island History Project, at last week’s Land Use Committee hearing. Scroll down this page to read the rest of his comments or watch on YouTube at 1:25.

Your presence at public hearings and your letters and calls to officials who will vote on the casino in the coming weeks and months are essential. The upcoming hearings are about the developer's proposal to de-map public streets and acquire air rights to build sky bridges and a 400-foot-tall hotel, which is twice the height allowed by existing zoning. The process to award the casino license is expected to come by the end of this year.

In 2023 and 2024, the developer paid registered lobbyists over $400,000 to lobby elected and appointed officials and their staffs, including Coney Island Council Member Justin Brannan, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Planning Commissioners, Office of the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, and Economic Development Corporation. (TSG Coney Island Entertainment Holdco LLC via lobbyistsearch.nyc.gov.)

Let your voices be heard by writing or phoning these elected and appointed officials and by signing and sharing the petition against the Coney Island casino organized by our friend and neighbor Coney Island USA. Over 6,000 people have signed the petition since December, with dozens more signing every time it is shared via social media.

The timeline of upcoming hearings, reviews and votes on the de-mapping proposal is as follows. (You can view the timeline in progress on City Planning's Zoning Application Portal at https://zap.planning.nyc.gov/projects/2024K0230):

Community Board Hearing

January 22, Wednesday, 7 PM, Community Board 13 Hearing at South Brooklyn Health (Coney Island Hospital), 2601 Ocean Parkway, 2nd floor auditorium. In-person meeting only.

-You must sign up to speak (two-minute maximum) by emailing hglikman@cb.nyc.gov no later than Tuesday, January 21 at 2 PM.

-Following the CB 13 Land Use Committee’s “No” vote on January 15, the full community board voted "NO" on the proposal.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Hearing

-Date TBA. Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) must be completed ten days prior to the City Planning Commission vote.

Borough President Review

-The Borough President had 30 days after the Community Board issues a recommendation to review the application and issue a recommendation. A public hearing was held on March 10 and thr borough President issued a conditional approval of the land use proposal: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/coney-island-amusement-park-casino-proposal/

-Write or phone Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Borough President. 718 802-3700. AskReynoso@brooklynbp.nyc.gov. Mail: 209 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201.

City Planning Commission Review

-The City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) on March 19. CPC has 60 days after the Borough President issues a recommendation to hold a hearing and vote on an application.

-How to participate: https://www.nyc.gov/site/planning/about/commission-meetings.page

-Email your comments to 24DCP129K_DL@planning.nyc.gov. Deadline for comments is March 31 at 5 PM.

City Council Review

-The City Council has 50 days from receiving the City Planning Commission report to call up the application, hold a hearing and vote on the application.

-Council Member Brannan’s vote is extremely important because it’s customary for NYC Council members to vote with the local council member. Justin Brannan is term limited and currently running for citywide office as NYC Comptroller.

-Write or phone Justin Brannan, Councilman for the 47th District (Bay Ridge, Coney Island, Sea Gate and parts of Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Gravesend). 718 748-5200. AskJB@council.nyc.gov. Mail: District Office, 8203 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209.

Mayoral Review

-The Mayor has five days to review the City Council’s decision and issue a veto.

Applicants must complete this local land-use/zoning process in order to be eligible for consideration by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, which is overseeing the commercial casino siting process in the Metro New York region. Casino applications will be due June 27, 2025.

Statement by Charles Denson, Executive Director of the Coney Island History Project at Community Board 13 Land Use Committee Hearing on January 15, 2025

I am asking the community board to reject the de-mapping of streets for the Coney casino project.

The project’s Environmental Impact Statement reveals an out of scale monstrosity that will choke off and smother all surrounding business and destroy the fabric of the surrounding community.

De-mapping of public streets is not needed to build this project. The zoning permits them to build as of right. The developers are asking for the streets to be de-mapped so that they can buy air rights to build sky bridges connecting all the Thor Equities properties. The purpose of a sky bridge is to make sure that no one leaves the casino once they enter it. They want to cut people off from all surrounding streets and attractions and keep them inside gambling until their money runs out. The casino has a business plan based on gambling addiction.

The developers are asking to transform Stillwell Avenue into a pedestrian mall that will funnel people into the casino. Transforming Stillwell Avenue will severely limit emergency access to the beach, Boardwalk, and amusements for nearly a quarter-mile stretch of the world’s most crowded beachfront.

The developers also want to transform West 12th Street into a four lane driveway for the casino. The project’s environmental impact statement confirms that this will create a choke point and traffic nightmare at this intersection and all along Surf Avenue. De-mapping of streets will disrupt historic family-oriented businesses of Coney Island. This land grab benefits no one but greedy developers.

There is also no guarantee that this project will be viable or sustainable once the novelty wears off. It could wind up abandoned like the Shore Theater. The proposed casino is a dead whale on the shores of Coney Island. Please vote no on the de-mapping.

Map of Potential Traffic and Pedestrain Impact

 
posted Jan 20th, 2025 in Development and tagged with
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Community Board 13 Must Reject the Coney Casino!

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Surf Avenue at West 12th Street.

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Surf Avenue at West 12th Street.

Don’t believe the dramatic renderings and gleeful promises presented by the Coney Casino developers. What they’re actually planning is the destruction of Coney Island as a beachfront amusement park destination. The massive Coney casino project is a disaster that’s way out of scale and designed to smother and kill all surrounding businesses in the amusement zone. It will destroy the fabric of the surrounding community. But the developers don’t care. They’re building a fortress of greed.

There will be a Community Board public hearing regarding the casino on Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7 PM. The meeting will be held at the Coney Island YMCA, 2980 West 29th Street at Surf Avenue. Public comment is encouraged, in person or remotely. The meeting is in response to the casino’s application to build a “1.3 million-square-foot” gaming facility in the heart of the Coney Island community. This will be the first of many public hearings to be held before three gambling sites in and around New York City are chosen in late 2025.

The developer’s request to take over and de-map several local streets is nothing more than a greedy land grab by Thor Equities that would allow it to build a monolithic fortress, a three-block-long solid wall that will surround the amusement zone, reducing access to the beach, Boardwalk, and amusements. The project includes a 402.5-foot tall, 40-story “hotel “ on Surf Avenue that will cast a shadow over the entire neighborhood. It will create a traffic nightmare that will affect the lives of all who visit or live in the community. Emergency responders will be delayed when the streets surrounding the casino are closed and they can’t reach the beach and Boardwalk in time to save lives.

The casino plan is reminiscent of the crack epidemic of the 90s: some people made a lot of money, but it didn’t end well. Casino gambling will bring addiction, poverty, bankruptcy, domestic abuse, and mental illness. It will destroy the outdoor amusement industry. It does not belong in this community.

The political ramifications of this destructive, ill-conceived casino have become clear. Two former NYC councilmembers have already been bought and paid for by the casino developers and hired as “consultants.” A respected former journalist is now a public relations flack for the casino. Money is being spread around to buy support. If approved, a project of this size would have political clout that would in no way benefit or represent the welfare of the community.

The NYC Economic Development Corporation planted a poison pill when they rezoned Coney Island in 2009. They left the door open for a predatory speculator like Thor Equities to buy up and destroy a majority of the amusement zone. Since buying up multiple Coney Island properties more than fifteen years ago Thor has raised rents, demolished historic buildings, and allowed most of his properties to deteriorate into terrible eyesores. The casino developers have shown an unwillingness and inability to work with local businesses. The Coney Island History Project is asking the members of Community Board 13 to vote against the Coney casino.

-Charles Denson, Executive Director, Coney Island History Project

If you would like the opportunity to speak for 2 minutes, whether as a member of the community or Community Board 13 member, you MUST sign up in advance by emailing hglikman@cb.nyc.gov.

You can attend via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82717437304?pwd=YfEWyaUUJgy2HE8NFrYI64jbyuEZrb.1

Dial-In:+1 646 931 3860

Meeting ID: 827 1743 7304

Passcode: 123456

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Coney Island

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Coney Island.
posted Jan 8th, 2025 in By Charles Denson and tagged with Coney Island, casino, public hearing,...
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Happy Holidays from the Coney Island History Project!

Happy Holidays from the Coney Island History Project

 

Happy Holidays from the Coney Island History Project! As 2024 comes to a close, we're grateful for our friends and supporters.

Highlights from this year include:

• Displaying the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops, an original Steeplechase horse, and an updated version of our exhibit about the past, present, and future of the century-old Riegelmann Boardwalk.

• Presenting outdoor exhibits at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, including an installation of history panels in front of the Astroland Moon Rocket and history banners adjacent to the Wheel and below the Phoenix Roller Coaster. We also installed new audio/visual equipment in the Rocket and began installation of colorful new interior lighting.

• Celebrating Coney Island's history by displaying and honoring Coney Island’s oldest surviving artifact, the 201-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign that dates to 1823 and remains the centerpiece of our historic collections.

• Recording new oral histories for our multilingual online archive, which now has over 480 interviews with people who have lived or worked in Coney Island and nearby neighborhoods of Southern Brooklyn or have a special connection to these places.

• Connecting with the community by offering free events such as our Coney Island History Show and Tell reminiscence event at the Coney Island Library on Mermaid Avenue.

•Acting as an information center for multitudes of visitors to Coney Island.

•Contributing op-eds and posts alerting the community about the dangers of the proposed Coney Island Casino.

Our successful and productive season was dampened by the horrifying specter of an ill-conceived Coney Island Casino project. It brings to mind the sad history of destructive policies and dubious planning that have damaged the community and businesses of Coney Island in the past, beginning with “redlining” during the 1930s, urban renewal in the 1960s, and the 2009 rezoning that brought a notorious slumlord to the heart of Coney Island. It’s a shame to think that all the recent progress and improvements in the community will be reversed if this dreadful project goes through. The decision will be made late in 2025 and public input at the hearings over the next year is extremely important.

Your donation or membership today will help support our 501(c)(3) nonprofit's free exhibits, oral history archive, and community programming as we enter our 21st year.

We’re counting the days until we meet again in Coney Island for the 2025 season!

Charles Denson, Executive Director
posted Dec 27th, 2024 in By Charles Denson and tagged with HIghlights from 2024, Happy Holidays, Coney Island History Project...
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