May 22, 2008
City Wants Control of Coney Island Wonder Wheel
Above Wonder Wheel photo courtesy NYCviaRachel
As part of a plan to turn over 9 privately-owned acres of Coney Island amusements to the Parks Department, the Bloomberg administration is trying to wrest control of the landmark Wonder Wheel from the family that has owned and operated it since before Coney Island’s comeback. According to amNY, it was in 1948 that Coney Island hot dog vendor Denos Vourderis promised his girlfriend that if she married him, he would buy her the Wonder Wheel; 35 years later he’d saved up enough money to make it happen.
Vourderis passed away in 1994, leaving his sons to manage the refurbished Wonder Wheel and a number of other rides that make up Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. Bloomberg’s plan would give the Vourderis family one acre in the new amusement area, while turning operations of the Wonder Wheel and tDenos Kiddie Park over to a “world class operator” who would find a way to maintain rides year-round.
Though the Vourderises would receive “fair market value” for the property, but Denos’s son Dennis is not amused, telling amNY, “It's important to keep his dream going. This is something that grew from being a little hot dog stand into an empire. They don't need to protect it from us. We made it a landmark.” But Coney Island Development Corp. president Lynn Kelly argues “if we don't change the zoning now and make the surrounding area parkland, in a few years someone could say, ‘I want to put a giant high-rise building right next to the Wonder Wheel.’”
Coney Island officially opens for the summer this weekend; if you ride the Wonder Wheel, choose the sliding car; it's well worth the wait.
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"World class operator" = Huge, soulless corporation that will milk it for every dollar it's worth and suck all the unique quirkiness out of it.
Where is the 15 page synopsis of the 10 page emily Gould article as retold by Jen Carlson, Gothamist's resident gossip girl?
This is much safer in private hands, and the city should keep it's grubby hands off. With all the good intentions this current administration may have, there is no garantee that some later administration won't make some grave decisions down the road, and have this icon pawned off. Somehow, I think our hopes are better placed with the Vourderises than with the city, whose current zoning scheme continues to feed the cancer of luxury redevelopment in all the boroughs.
Sadly, I disagree that it would be safer in private hands. Families inheriting somewhat troubled institutions and then promptly selling out (because some of the siblings don't want to invest their careers in it) are all too commmon. But I'm also not too thrilled with the idea that the city has to force the decision - if you want to take it over just make an offer to buy it.
"over to a “world class operator” who would find a way to maintain rides year-round."
Who in G-d's name would any want to ride that thing in the Winter?
Bloomberg is a piece of garbage.
If you ever see a show on PBS called Great Old Amusement Parks (hosted by the great Rick Sebak), watch it. There is a great bit on there on Coney Island, then and now. It's also available from Netflix (and the NYPL, too, I think).
Actually, here it is on YouTube. It's a little old. A ride on the Cyclone is only $3. The Wonder Wheel info starts at 3:20.
Bloomberg hasn't saved a single historic site for the entire time he's been mayor. He will never, ever understand the charm of Coney Island. Please, Bloomberg, go back to micromanaging potholes.
I don't see why everyone is so worried about the city stepping in to take over. I'm sure they'll treat Coney Island with the same care and respect with which they've treated the former World's Fair attractions in Flushing Meadows.
(I only WISH the towers in FMCP were spaceships à la Men in Black. Then maybe the aliens would swoop in and zap away Bloomberg for doing such a crappy job at upkeep.)
Bloomberg continues to suck the soul out of New York. His useless Coney Island Development Corporation has shrunk the proposed amusement parkland from 15 acres to 9 acres at the blink of an eye. Is it too much to ask to have 7 city blocks from 8th st to 15th street as strictly amusements! It's the last damn amusement zone left in all of New York City!
Imagine insulting a family like the Vourderis family who put their hearts and souls into their park during some very rough years when you could get killed or mugged just for walking down 12th st that it would be better off in the citys hands??? Is there no shame?
If Joe Sitt really wanted to develop he'd buy property in the neighborhood of Coney Islands where it's truly needed but the bottom line is he wants oceanfront property and could care less about anything outside of the amusement zone. Being that he's from Brooklyn he's a disgrace to his roots. He obviously doesn't know what roots are.