Coney Island (Luna Park / Deno's) Development Discussion Thread

Thanks for those awesome photos coneyislandchris!

^ ^ Isn't that the same thing that is coming to SFOT next year???

Yep. It's "Catwoman Whip". Not "Catwoman's Whip". Just want to make that distinction.

Thanks for those awesome photos coneyislandchris!

Sure thing.

Made a brief trip down to the boardwalk today to try and check out Endeavor, but alas, I only found a finished slab of concrete behind a closed & locked gate. Apparently, from talking to some of the Thunderbolt ride ops, it's already been disassembled and is on its way to SFOT. It just ran here for a couple weekends for a test, and will be replaced next season with a (supposedly) larger model.

Other than that, not much goings on to report. One of the last three weekends Luna Park will be open for the season, was pretty bitterly cold out there in the early afternoon, so I did one lap on Thunderbolt and one on Cyclone, grabbed a couple corn dogs from Nathan's, and called it a day. Thunderbolt was actually running pretty well and wasn't that uncomfortable today, and they were actually in the process of blasting & repainting the Cyclone. Crowds were extremely minimal and seemed to be primarily European tourists.

Underneath the Cyclone, tarped off & blasted.

And to think I recently rode this coaster. . . Well, it was still an awesome ride!

^What do you imagine it's supposed to look like when you strip the paint off of something that old?

The folks doing the Cyclone repaint, Baynum Painting, posted up a blog report with several photos of the work-in-progress recently. You can find it on their Wordpress page. Here's one of the photos. I think it's looking fantastic! Can't wait to ride it next season!

Fresh coat!

Oh my. . . What a difference a coat of paint can make!! The ride looks amazing!!

The painting is almost complete.

The classic Cyclone is lookin' good.

Wow!!! What a difference. Looks amazing!!

Cyclone looks absolutely fantastic with new paint! It's so clean it almost looks like a model rollercoaster.

Want to be riding a coaster as the clock strikes midnight to ring in the new year? You can do that this year at Luna Park, weather permitting:

Borough President Adams announced that the Abe Stark Rink, B&B Carousell, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, and Thunderbolt roller coaster will be open and free of charge throughout New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day; there will be details revealed in the coming days regarding further additions.

Full story and details here:

http://brooklyn-usa.org/bp-adams-announces-2015-one-brooklyn-new-years-eve-celebration-with-fireworks-and-family-friendly-festivities-in-coney-island-and-prospect-park/

^Good find, but I'm a little confused. The article references the rides being free but at the end of the article it states that 50% of tickets sales will be donated.

I don't know when Deno's usually puts their cars back on the Wonder Wheel, but it seems like a big undertaking to add them but on this early unless they are planning to keep them on through the rest of the "winter".

The painting is almost complete.

Wow wow wow wow. I can't wait to check this out in person. It doesn't even look like the same ride.

I love this trend of more and more parks running coasters in the winter. Screw you winter, after the last few years we're tired of your crap and we're not participating anymore.

9:30 pm 12/31/15

Heading out to Coney Island now!!!!

Anyone else going for NYE?

^ Naw, I can't find a taxi that'll take me to Coney Island, from here!

Have a great night , Fran. And HNY to you and yours.

Can't wait to hear about this event.

9:30 pm 12/31/15

Heading out to Coney Island now!!!!

Anyone else going for NYE?

Damn, If I had known you were going I would have met up tonight

Crap! I just got back from NYC earlier today/yesterday!

The city is continuing to make steps to seize the land that housed the old Thunderbolt and is currently a vacant lot next to the new Zamperla Thunderbolt; opponents have 30 days to issue challenges and if all proceeds as planned, the land will be in the city's hands within a year.

http://nypost.com/2016/01/14/city-moving-ahead-with-plans-to-seize-coney-island-property/

City moving ahead with plans to seize Coney Island property

 

The land in Coney Island that the city is looking to seize for development. Photo: Edmund J. Coppa

 

The city is moving ahead with plans to seize 75,000 square feet of Coney Island beachfront property after a public review found it would help spur stalled economic development there.

 

The land that would be grabbed through eminent domain includes a long-neglected 60,000-square-foot tract that once housed the original Thunderbolt roller coaster immortalized in Woody Allen’s 1977 film “Annie Hall.”

 

Besides bringing the fabled beachfront new attractions – including a long-promised grand walkway connecting the landmarked Cyclone roller coaster, Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump – control of the added land would finally give the city ability to make infrastructure improvements needed so that thousands of units of affordable and market-rate housing approved through a 2009 area rezoning can move forward.

 

Using eminent domain would help “reestablish Coney Island as a year-round, open and accessible amusement and entertainment destination, and … create housing, jobs, and opportunities for local residents,” the Parks Department said in a legal notice Tuesday detailing the findings of the public review.

 

The city could obtain the properties within a year if there are no legal challenges. Opponents have 30 days to file their objections.

 

Despite the controversial nature of eminent domain, there has been little opposition to the plan first reported by The Post because most of the property is owned by absentee landlords who allowed their sites to become weed-strewn eyesores.

 

The lone exception is a 9,000-square-foot lot near the boardwalk that has long been home to a small, family-owned amusement business.

 

Carol Murray, the business owner, could not be reached for comment but called the city’s plan an “abuse of power” during an October public hearing.

^ I'm going against all my moderate Republican values and hatred of eminent domain, because I'm selfish and want more rides.

Just to be clear here the city is looking to take over a couple of "empty" lots and also a parcel of land where independent rides (The Ghost Hole, Saturn 6 and Polar Express) currently operate.

^Do we know if they intend to move the independent ride operators out if the land acquisition goes ahead?

^ I'm going against all my moderate Republican values and hatred of eminent domain, because I'm selfish and want more rides.

The way the article reads, the owners aren't even around to bother. So, its perfectly reasonable if they aren't even going to bother trying to sell it, the city will just take it!