Coney Island land baron and would-be developer Joe Sitt has been fighting, with the help of City Council ally Domenic Recchia Jr., to get the city to change its proposed rezoning plan and expand the potential retail space from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Opponents have predicted a Coney Island clogged with generic chains if Sitt gets his way, and now Brownstoner has a scoop proving they were right to fear the worst:
According to a pitch book that a tipster tells us was used to (unsuccessfully) lobby Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the kind of tenants Thor is dreaming about for Coney include such charming mom-and-pops as Toys R Us, Bass Pro Shops and the Hard Rock Cafe.
BJ's isn't mentioned, but Sitt's Coney Island dreamland would also include an Abercrombie & Fitch, Restoration Hardware, Gap/Banana Republic, and—wait for it—HOT TOPIC! Ah, but ain't that Generica. In other Coney Island news, the city is, for the third time, soliciting bids for what officials are calling "Beach Adventure Park" on the sand near Steeplechase Pier. Step right up and submit your bids, amusement purveyors; officials are in the market for trampolines, climbing walls and trapeze swings. Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Julius Spiegel tells the Daily News, "We want the biggest, baddest inflatable rides you've ever seen!" The city didn't get any takers when they sought bidders in 2005 and 2007, but officials promise this year will be different and hope for some (wholesome) adventure on the beach this summer.
And today the city will reveal details on this summer's Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which will come to Coney Island starting June 18th, at a site off the Boardwalk near Surf Avenue and West 21st Street. According to a press release leaked to City Room, the circus will occur in a 2,300-seat air-conditioned main tent and feature 7 tigers, 7 dachshunds, 3 elephants and 29 performers. And an untold number of animal rights' advocates can be expected to protest the spectacle.
