Coney Island Death Watch: Brand New Wednesday Evictions

Thor Equities is continuing to evict tenants from the property it owns in Coney Island, well ahead of any approved plans to redevelop the property. On Tuesday, we noted that the bedraggled, but historic Henderson's Building on Surf Avenue was being cleared of tenants and will likely get wrecking ball treatment. Today's Daily News has an excellent Jotham Sederstrom story with detail about the Henderson's clear out. He writes, in part:

Eight renters received notice last week from their properties' new owner, developer Thor Equities, telling them to be out when their leases expire Dec. 31...Norman Kaufman sees a downside to the changes. Kaufman, who owns batting cages, go-cart tracks, a boat ride and a rock climbing attraction on Stillwell, said he won't be able to relocate anywhere nearby.

"We're talking about losing one-third of Coney Island," said Kaufman, who has operated in the area for 50 years. "They purchased most of the usable area. I couldn't go into Coney Island if I wanted to."

Yesterday (Wednesday), several more Thor tenants, including the Go Kart track on Henderson Walk, got the boot. Now, you might not bemoan the loss of batting cages or go karts, but what's interesting is that the evictions mean that a significant part of Coney will be devoid of life during the next summer season.

While Thor's plans for Coney haven't been announced, it is widely believed that they will not be replacing any of the lost amusements and will instead be building retail and residential properties. Coney's short-term future is crystal clear: 2-4 years of vacancy and construction, starting in 2007.

Related Post:
Developer Starting to Clear Out Its Coney Properties?