An hour after Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States today, New York's Department of City Planning will unveil its plan to make over Coney Island. The topic has been prominently featured in news accounts for much of the past couple of years, as the City, developer Thor Equities and the preservationists have fought, almost always publicly, about what the new Coney Island should look like. Here are a few components of the city's plan from today's Daily News: 19 blocks to be rezoned, $2.5 billion budget, height limit of 27 stories, creation of "Wonder Wheel Way" to connect the ferris wheel, Parachute Jump and Cyclone, 4,500 new apartments (20 percent affordable), 800 hotel rooms. As The Post points out, the city's plan would likely mean the end to Nathan's Famous restaurant. The seven-month ULURP process will include input from the community board and the borough president's office before returning to City Planning. Of course, as Gothamist points out, the city will have to get a deal done for Thor's land for any of this to become a reality.
City Unveils Coney Island Revival Plan [NY Daily News]
Coney Island Plan Bites Nathan's [NY Post]
CI Fans’ Fantasies About Future Revealed [Brooklyn Eagle]
Coney Island Rezoning Plan Released [Gothamist]
Photo by sandwichgirl on Flickr
