June 25, 2008
Coney Island's Future Bitterly, Colorfully Contested
Last night’s Coney Island Public Scoping Meeting was the place to be, as activists like political performance artist Reverend Billy turned the meeting into a carnival, leaping up on a chair with repeated cries of “Coney-lujah!” Musician Amos Wengler stood up to croon his anthem “Save Coney Island,” and Savitri D., the Mermaid Parade queen who had been on a hunger strike since Saturday to spotlight the meeting, passionately derided the city’s latest proposal for Coney Island.
Critics object to the city’s plans to take over the amusement area and shrink it to 9 acres, while making more room for “enclosed amusements.” The whole amusement district would then be run by a single “world class operator” – a move that’s outraged owners of the Wonder Wheel, who are fighting the city’s attempt to take over their family-owned ride.
Dick Zigun, the unofficial “mayor” of Coney Island who recently resigned as board director of the Coney Island Development Corporation, last night dismissed the city’s proposal as “a shopping mall by other names." Three high-rise hotels are currently being proposed for the area, as well as retail shopping outlets like Niketown and FAO Schwartz. The current plan includes 5,000 mixed-income housing units.
UPDATE: After the jump, two videos of Reverend Billy and Savtri's impassioned testimony.
Photo courtesy Getty Images.
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"World class operator" = Huge, soulless corporation that will suck every last penny and ounce of authenticity from Coney Island.
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Gay hindus in jackson heights? Krishna is going to turn red.
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The owners of the Wonder Wheel should be allowed to maintain their ride and have involvement in the decisions affecting the rides at Coney Island but Reverend Billy just needs to go away. Like far away.
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I attended last night and 90 -95 percent of those who spoke were against this plan. The place was full. Reverend Billy is great, why should he go away? At least he's an activist who gets media attention and gets off his ass to actually do something about preserving the character of this city. It's easy to knock, especially with your asses on a chair typing away on a keypad while the soul of the city is ripped away every day because you sit around doing nothing.
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Cuz you know ... the way to fight the man is to have
1) an over-the-top false preacher
2) an indignant woman wearing a funny tiara
3) a song, nay, a jingle
Yep. We sure saved Phoney Island.
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"while the soul of the city is ripped away every day"
yawn. That's a weak argument. It's like people bitching about Times Square. Yeah, you know what, I'm not a fan of the whole Disney aspect of things, but give me Disney over drug addicts and hookers any day. And if drug addicts and hookers where that area's "soul", then it's better off dead.
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Does anyone else see the irony of a big loud showy guy with a stage name decrying modern market culture?
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natis it's not an argument but a fact. Somehow I doubt your even old enough to remember Times Square.
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mfer i guess by your definition the way to save anything is to make stupid comments on Gothamist.
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I love hookers and drug addicts almost as much as I love Coney Island!
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bornbrednewyorker: OH, I'm old enough to remember, much to my dismay. Saw Love at First Bite at the movie theatre that was replaced by the ABC studios.
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Who the fuck thinks that a "world class operator" is going to rid the place of junkies and hookers? They're just going to find creepier ways to 'fit in', like they do in Vegas. At least the present Coney island gives you crabs without having to pay extra.