New York’s got a ticket to ride: More attractions could be on tap for Coney Island.
The city is looking to bring 150,000 square feet of new amusements along the Coney Island boardwalk.
A joint request for proposals (RFP) from the New York City Economic Development Corporations and the Parks Department will be released Monday, calling for the development and operation of five parcels along the boardwalk smack in the middle of the amusement district.
“Coney Island just keeps getting better,” James Patchett, president and CEO of the NYCEDC, said in a statement. “The de Blasio Administration is working to grow jobs in the amusement district, building affordable housing and investing in critical infrastructure. It’s all part of our effort to improve quality of life and expand opportunities for Coney Island residents while preserving the unique culture of this historic destination.”
The five parcels of land are located in a block along the boardwalk, right near the Thunderbolt and Wonder Wheel rides and out beyond left field of the MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.
This is the first step in building on the recent investments to the boardwalk. Back in 2009, the city rezoned the amusement district while also pumping in $137 million of infrastructure improvements.
A similar RFP was released in November of that year; that process led to the opening of Luna Park in May 2010, less than a year later. The development, a 3.1-acre amusement park that features 19 rides, was the first of its kind to open in Coney Island in nearly 50 years.
De Blasio added to the growth in 2014 with a $180 million investment in infrastructure, affordable housing, open space and jobs for Coney Island area. Those funds brought the Coney Island Amphitheater, the Coney Island Commons & YMCA as well as some new public plazas. The recent additions mean the amusement district is now larger than it has been at any time since Steeplechase Park closed in the mid-1960s, according to the EDC.
Responses to the RFP will be due by March 17.
