By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on November 15, 2009 12:30 PM
Mayor Bloomberg Has Announced That New York City Has Made A Deal To Create A 12.5 Acre Amusement Park On Coney Island To Renovate The Park Area
Major Renovations Planned For Coney Island
Be honest, now: When you think of New York City’s Coney Island, do you think, “Ah, now there’s a destination?” Or do you think, ”Hmm, dated relic of ancient amusement park days?” Well, all that is about to change.
Last week, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the city has made a deal to acquire almost seven acres in Coney Island in order to expand and renovate the amusement park area.
Amusement And Entertainment District
The acquisition will allow the city to create a 12.5-acre amusement park as part of an amusement and entertainment district of almost twice the size; three waterfront areas are included in the addition.
The plan is expected to bring in more than $14 billion in economic activity for the city over the next 30 years.
New Stores And Housing Units
In recent years, the so-called amusement district has shrunk to a barely-there three acres and a rather meager and decrepit offering of boardwalk fun; the expanded version will include stores and nearly 5,000 new units of housing (and, ideally, many new jobs) in addition to the “amusements.”
Well-loved attractions such as the Cyclone and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park are expected to remain in place. Coney Island became a resort after the Civil War, reached its peak of popularity in the early twentieth century, and continued to decline in popularity after World War II. The name, if you were wondering, most likely comes from the Dutch words meaning “Rabbit Island.”
