CONEY ISLAND REDEVELOPMENT FUTURE

The New York City Council under Mayor Michael Bloomberg approved plans for the redevelopment of Coney Island this week. Many New Yorkers are dismayed at the progress of the aggressive Thor Equities plan for highrises that will force out existing businesses. This decision accelerates a broad set of concerns around the Coney Island neighborhood. One primary concern is the question of how much shadow the new highrises planned to tower over the area will cast on the historically bright and open amusement park where visitors could always see the sky. The image of a Coney Island amusement park dwarfed by towering glass boxes of rich occupants and privatised services is hard to envision. And, if the projected big development has its way, the area designated for what has historically been the place of entertainment and public delight will be shrunk to a fraction of its original area.