Coney Island Meets the Grid

In order to save Coney Island from dwindling unemployment rates and high poverty levels, developers rezone the 46-year-old amusement park, but the plans may never actually leave the paper.

2 minute read

July 3, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT

By Citylimitsorg


A new Coney Island is in the works, one that affords its visitors more than bright pink cotton candy and a warm sense of nostalgia. As part of the city's plans to boost the area's economic development, the Coney Island Development Corporation and the Economic Development Corporation aided in the rezoning and redesigning of the site to include mixed-use residential and retail to bring in new residents and create year-round jobs. "The hope at the time was that by dropping some high-end residents into Coney Island, as well as new storefronts along Surf Avenue that could host restaurants, movie theaters and other year-round attractions, local residents could finally have access to more than the seasonal jobs that have traditionally accompanied the summer beach season," writes Neil deMause.

Many issues and concerns arise from talk of redevelopment, including having to come to terms with the sewage and flooding problems that are a result of the site's vulnerability to rising sea levels. "'The whole peninsula is in need of [infrastructure work],' says CB13 district manager Chuck Reichenthal. 'You can't put up highrise hotels, buildings, or anything else, when what exists now has flooding problems.'" The University of Arizona created this sea-level mapping tool to visualize potential threats. Assessing these and other risks, the EDC has decided on a "30-year plan" for redevelopment, which they believe will give them ample time to address the crucial areas of concern as well as the costs, which, "according to city figures, could run close to half a billion dollars, making it one of the most expensive city redevelopment projects of the Bloomberg era."

With the degree of time and money being set aside to see this project through to completion, locals are demanding that employment opportunities are at the top of the list of the development's outcomes. The Coney Island CLEAR coalition, made up of "representatives of several city unions and a handful of locals (most prominently Rev. Connis Mobley of the West End's United Community Baptist Church), lobbied for job guarantees for local residents as part of the rezoning." Whether or not this plan will come to fruition and answer the call of local demands is unclear. An EDC spokesperson states: "We're less than three years into a 30-year redevelopment plan and significant progress has already been made. We're confident the 2009 rezoning lays out a practical pathway going forward."

Thanks to Nekoro Gomes

Monday, July 2, 2012 in The Brooklyn Bureau

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

2 hours ago - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

3 hours ago - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

4 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA