Developer Starting to Empty Out Its Coney Properties?

Our favorite Coney Island news source, Kinetic Carnival, is reporting that developer Thor Equities, which owns a huge block of property that it plans to turn into a Times Squarish retail and entertainment complex by the sea, may have started kicking out existing tenants. Kinetic writes:

First structure to possibly go to make way for the new Coney is the Henderson building on the corner of Stillwell Ave./Henderson Walk & Surf Ave to the Bowery. The property now owned by Thor Equities, which as early as last week assured their tenants not to worry about being evicted for the next year has now turned around and handed most of its tenants a 90 day notice to vacate the premises...Thor's tenants on the Boardwalk including Ruby's and Cha-Cha's and Ocean Grill House were not given notice. And Norman Kaufman says he was not given any notice for his miniature golf or batting cage or go-karts.

With that, [Coney Island USA's and Coney Island Development Corp. Board Member Dick] Zigun confirms that Thor has given notice to most of their newly acquired tenants in the Henderson's building and beyond! Those include owner and operator of the Zipper and Spider rides on West 12th, McCullough's Kiddie Park at Bowery & West 12th, Caesar's games on the Bowery, and Slim who operates Balloon Racing game on the Bowery.

Regardless, of who has been given notices as of yet. This is just the beginning of Thor clearing its land up for the zone that will mark the first construction site towards the revitalization of the New Coney.

The building in question currently is home to a Popeye's and a variety of amusements and may be familiar to some as the building with the "Surf Hotel" sign. Regardless of what sort of plan Thor comes up with--worthy of Coney or worthy of suburban Jersey shopping mall on Prozac--several empty and construction-filled years are ahead for Good Old Coney.

Huge props to Kinetic Carnival for getting this story and for the excellent reporting.

(The map below showing the Henderson Building's location is from Kinetic Carnival).



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Coney Plans: Turning Down the "Glam Rock" and Pumping Up the Elevator Music