Coney Island May Get Ringling Bros. Circus This Summer

The Ringling Brothers Circus is considering pitching a tent at Coney Island this summer, but the most obvious location for the show, the now-desolate Astroland site on the Boardwalk, was nixed because of developer Joe Sitt and his company Thor Equities.

According to the Post, the city, Sitt, and Ringling Brothers had been in negotiations to bring the circus to the former Astroland property, which Sitt owns, but then the developer started making demands. One unnamed city official says, "It looked like Thor was going to be able to say, 'We tore down Astroland, but look at what we're doing for Coney.' But then they added demands, so they could make more money, and the whole thing fell apart."

Sources tell the Post that Sitt tried to "nickel and dime" Ringling Brothers by insisting Thor Equities be allowed to sell concessions that would compete with the circus's concessions. It's also rumored Sitt didn't want to offer any parking space on the 10.5 acres of languishing Boardwalk property he owns. Though the claims are unsubstantiated, they're not hard to believe, given Sitt's current strategy of holding the amusement district hostage as he tries to sell the land to the city for twice what he paid for it. (The city's rezoning plan for the area is currently going through a long public-review process.)

Now Ringling Brothers and the city are eying land owned by Taconic Investment Partners west of the Boardwalk, by West 22nd Street. Meanwhile, it's still unclear what the Boardwalk area will have to offer visitors this summer in the way of rides and amusements. (Of course, Coney Island already has a circus and side show.) With the closing of Astroland, the amusement area has shrunk from 60 acres to just five, with Deno's Wonder Wheel park the last man standing.

According to Crain's, the city is considering building a temporary amusement park on land the city already owns and "hopes to acquire in the coming months and on streets that it hopes to close." While the interim park wouldn't open until next summer, it could stay open for five to seven years during the larger redevelopment of the area. In city estimate terms, that translates to about two decades.

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By John Del Signore in News on March 20, 2009 10:05 AM

Comments [rss]

robingee

The last time an elephant graced Coney Island she was killed by Thomas Edison.

felixthecat2

So what you own a pet? I love people who justice their stance on cruelty with their owning a pet.

Get your facts right and yes animals do feel pleasure and pain and they don't have pleasure performing tricks which goes against their nature for your sick amusement

Elephants are chained for an average of more than 26 hours at a time, sometimes for as many as 60–100 hours straight on extended trips. Chained and barely able to take a step, the elephants sway neurotically.

Kenneth Feld—CEO of Feld Entertainment, the company that owns Ringling—had to admit that he's seen handlers use bullhooks to hit elephants in the secret places where the wounds don't show up as much (i.e., under the chin, behind the ear, and on the back of the leg).

Ringling's animal behaviorist testified that an elephant who had been struck with a bullhook was seen dripping blood on the arena floor during a show.

In internal e-mails that came to light, a Ringling veterinary assistant reported, "After this morning's baths, at least 4 of the elephants came in with multiple abrasions and lacerations from the [bull]hooks. … The [lacerations] were very visible …. [A handler] applied … wonder dust just before the show." (Wonder Dust is a gray dressing powder that circus workers can use to conceal bloody bullhook wounds.)

Another internal report documented that Troy Metzler, a longtime Ringling elephant trainer, struck Angelica, a female Asian elephant, three to five times while she was held in stocks before unloading her and then shocking her with an electric prod.

Two former Ringling employees, who had previously blown the whistle to PETA, described the abuse that they witnessed while working for the circus, including a violent beating of an elephant that lasted at least 30 minutes.

Guest

You know what Felix, since you never listen to a damn thing I say, and like to twist my words using whatever bullshit is running around in that empty head of yours, I no longer acknowledge you or your posts (this is my final one). Hopefully one day you will understand the fire analogy that I've used to try and help you get past your knee-jerk reactions. The evidence you found by Googling it was nice for the readers, but I'm not convinced that it is something that everyone does (kinda like sports where a few idiots use steroids, but you can't say for a fact that they all do). And for the record, I hate circuses.

Guest

How in the hell can you claim they're not happy performing for us? Happiness is a human invention, not an animal one. Animals don't know happy, they know safe. There's an enormous difference between the two. As for elephants being herd animals, I agree, but have you ever been to a circus? There's never just one elephant. Usually, there's at least three if not more.

Also, I doubt that you have yet to figure out the FIRE analogy that I put to you the other day, but I will try to help you again. When you bitch about elephants in the circus being animal cruelty, it completely desensitizes people to real animal cruelty (see the story about the asshats who set the cat on fire).

And for your information, I have a beautiful Ragdoll cat that I would rip your throat out if you harmed her. I doubt you would, but at least you know how I feel about her.

neillevine

he City does not seem to know that it already owns Keyspan Park, the underutilized home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, with a seating capacity of several thousand that could be used for such an occasion, if the groundskeepers could find a way to handle the inevitable damage the elephants and clowns are going to do to the infield. neil

Guest

Cue felixthecat's incessant whining...

felixthecat2

of course only a wannabe cowboy would think about me and post likely checking this clip for my response. what a LOSSSSER

The issue is not me but wild animals belong in the wild. elephants are herd animals living in family groups. they are not there for our entertainment. they are not happy performing for us. this is cruel. there should be a full ban on circuses keeping performing animals. horse trials and dog shows should not be compared to elephants in the circus.there is a huge difference. And if you miss being close to animals, get yourself a cat or a dog,the animal rescue centres are full of them.