Some Great News: Astroland Gets Another Year

Today's big news for those that care about Coney Island is that Astroland will be open next year. The news that owner Carol Hill Albert and developer Joe Sitt had reached an agreement broke late yesterday afternoon. The lease was signed on Tuesday. There had been strong indications that there would be agreement and none of Astroland's rides, which had been on the market, had been removed from the property. Ms. Albert, who sold the park to Mr. Sitt for $30 million, told the Village Voice blog Runnin' Scared: "I'm very pleased for my employees and I'm very happy to be part of another tremendous year for Coney Island." She released a statement saying: "Astroland is very pleased that its 300 employees will continue to have jobs, and we want to thank our many supporters and fans who worked so hard to keep Astroland open." Astroland closed for the season on September 9. It will reopen for another "last year" on March 18. The city's zoning proposal for Coney Island is expected very soon and it is unclear whether the Astroland deal indicates that the city and Mr. Sitt have moved closer on possible changes.

Special Brooklinks:

• Coney Island's Astroland will stay open one more season [NYDN]
• Coney Island's Astroland Gets a New Lease on Life [AP/Newsday]
• Astroland Lives for One More Summer! [Runnin' Scared]
• Breaking: Another Astroland Season for Coney Island [Gothamist]
• Astroland Gets Another Year! [Kinetic Carnival]
• Astroland to return for another year [amNY]
• Astroland Lives to See Another Summer [NY1]
• Another year for Astroland [Metro]
• One More Season for Astroland [AP/NYT]

Is Coney Island the New Atlantic Yards and Joe Sitt the New Bruce Ratner?

The moment we saw the item late yesterday afternoon about the sale of Astroland to Thor Equities we realized why we started doing a "Coney Island Deathwatch" months ago: because Thor's plan is to erase virtually every element of Coney Island's past and to rebuild it from scratch.

There's more to it than that, however. With the sale of Astroland to Thor Equities, the massive Coney project is starting to look like the new Atlantic Yards and, inevitably, developer Joe Sitt is looking like Nouveau Ratner. The only thing missing is the Empire State Development Corp., but the Coney Island Development Corp. may yet prove itself to be a spiritual equal.

So, what's wrong here? Let's start with a project driven by a single developer and firm and move on from there. Projects of this magnitude that would literally place the fate of a huge part of an entire neighborhood in the hands of one firm or entity are a bad idea. It's led to a mega-project of massive density in Atlantic Yards and it will likely yield something unsettling in Coney Island. If Thor's model is something of a Times Square by the Sea (with rides looping in an out of buildings), it neglects one fact: The Times Square redevelopment never went anywhere until it was an organic process in the hands of multiple interests. Generations of top-down schemes crashed and burned.

Yes, Coney Island needs to be redeveloped and needs to regain some of its former glory after so many years of neglect and decline. However, destroying every remnant of its history and stripping away yet another bit of the Brooklyn we love--and one of our earliest life memories is going to Coney Island, where a good part of the family lived--is not the way to do it.

To recap a story that has been broadcast all over the country in the last 16 hours: Thor Equities bought Astroland for $30 million from its owners, the Albert family, yesterday. The 3.1 acre amusement park will close at the end of the 2007 season. The Cyclone will remain (it's a landmark) under the current agreement with the city. Oddly, the family said that "the cost of converting Astroland to a year-round operation was too steep."

Even more oddly, they're retaining ownership of some of the rides in the hope of "adding some new rides and relocating to another section of the neighborhood." The family is "hopeful that city and Brooklyn officials could help with relocation costs."

Killing one of the last two Coney Island amusement parks--no matter how unspectacular Astroland might be--is like ripping out part of Coney's soul. It verges on being an act of cultural violence. This is the point at which a mayor with a sense of history and a borough president who utters more than empty cheers would step in to say, 'enough' and work to ensure that Astroland stays a genuine amusement park and that the amusement zone--which is Coney Island's historic heart--is protected by zoning.

We would love to know exactly what Mr. Sitt has in mind for Coney Island, especially in purchasing Astroland. Thor's press release is titled "Future of Coney Island to Include Expanded Amusements on Astroland Site." It goes on to say that Thor:

envisions a unified plan for its properties with Astroland becoming a 12-months-per-year amusement destination. In the future, Astroland will house a mix of amusements and attractions. Thor's vision includes the introduction of enclosed amusements for the 21st century that can operate throughout the year, as well as a new hotel that will be needed to accommodate the expected influx of visitors to the area.

(You can find the full Thor press release over at the Coney Island Message Board where it was posted by Dick Zigun.)

It's not the amusements that scare us so much as the "attractions." Are we talking about Legal Sea Foods and Starbucks? Meanwhile, the Times, in a very short article, reports that Thor is planning to build a hotel on the property with some amusments on the ground floor. And, even if Thor plans a "21st Century amusement park," do people really want an indoor park in summer at the beach? (Note to Thor: Retractable roof, please.)

The interesting thing is that Deno's Wonder Wheel Park sits between Sitt's other properties and Astroland. Is that the next shoe to drop? Will Deno's end up hemmed in by Sitt projects like the proverbial building whose owner refused to sell surround by highrises? Will the only things left of the past in Coney Island be the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and Parachute Jump, the equivalent of those big, old signs that are preserved when the factories to which they were attached are torn down? Will Thor use preserving Astroland as an amusement park as the bargaining chip to get the zoning changes to allow boardwalk condo towers? Is the grand plan--as cynics have suggest--to turn Coney Island into an absolutely desolate ghost town by the end of next year to pressure quick action on their plans?

We are fairly certain that Mr. Sitt does not intend to build a bigger, better amusement park where Astroland is. Amusement parks--unless you plan to do a Mall of America indoor thing--are not "year-round attractions" in the Northeast. At least, not until another 75 years or so of global warming occur. At which point, they might want to plan for a lot of water rides.

The sale of Astroland is not something to be automatically cheered, and it is probably not the last sale or purchase about which we will be writing.

Hold On: No Reprieve Yet For Astroland!!!

That story about Astroland getting a one-year stay of execution? It may not be true. amNY reports this morning that "negotiations for an extension appear to have bogged down over rezoning concessions the site's developer is seeking from the city." Astroland's owner, Carol Albert, in fact, says she hasn't been offered any lease extension at all. David of Coney Island USA says the Post's Thursday story saying that Astroland and developer Joe Sitt had reached an agreement "is not correct." He posts the following on the Coney Island Message Board: [Astroland owner] Carol [Albert] asked me to let everyone know that she is not involved in any talks...Astroland has not been given a reprieve. The Post is wrong. He posted a comment to that effect last night on GL.

Yesterday, GL tried to contact Thor spokesperson Tom Corsillo to talk about the Post story, but he did not respond. In the meantime, we were told that an agreement with Mr. Sitt had been reached to keep Astroland open, but that the developer had subsequently backed away from the deal and had, in fact, made the one-year extension contingent on winning zoning concessions he is seeking. A city official described the tactic as Mr. Sitt pointing "a gun" at his head.

Kinetic Carnival also picked up some conversations yesterday and reports:

Council member Domenic Recchia said that he did have talks with Thor Equities and they did say they would work about a plan to keep Astroland open for the '08 season. He also stated that Thor Equities later added further dialogue which indicated that they would extend Astroland for another season only if and when the city changes the zoning to their favor.

Recchia, regardless, promised he will work hard and fight to keep Astroland open at the current location for another season and also help them find another location for the future.

Thor spokesperson Lee Silberstein, meanwhile, is quoted in amNY as saying, "Thor is confident it will be able to reach an agreement with Astroland to keep the rides open next summer."

Apparently, very high level meetings with Thor have been going on all week, which could explain some of the motivation behind the stories about the change from condos to hotel rooms and time shares, and the new renderings, that began circulating this weekend. GL has learned that both Borough President Marty Markowitz and Council Member Recchia met with Thor executives this week and that Mr. Sitt met this week with Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff. That meeting was described as having "laid everything on the line."

Bizarre Astroland Saga Continues

If we were to find a way to musically tell the Astroland story, we would find a tenor to stand on a stage and sing some opera about it. Seriously. The bizarre Astroland saga--the sale of the property to Thor Equities for $30 million, intimations by the owner that she had no choice other than to sell and the recent effort to find a way to keep the park open, all while putting the rides up for sale--continues.

The same story in the Bay News that conveys that news that Thor is purchasing part of Wonder Wheel Park passes on more detail about what became clear after the Post first reported that Thor would give Astroland a one-year stay of execution until 2008: There is no agreement to keep Astroland open.

The Bay News reports:

“Contrary to reports in the media, we have not been offered a lease extension and there has been no contact made with Joe Sitt,” Albert said.

Albert did say she spoke with City Councilmember Domenic Recchia about the extension and he said he would see what he could do, but nothing came from it.

“The last time I spoke to Sitt was a couple of weeks ago. I told him of my interest in a lease for another year and he said he wasn’t ready to do that,” said Albert.

“The city is trying very hard to find us another place, but it’s difficult for them to find a place in Coney Island. If there’s no place to move the rides, I’ll have to sell them,” she added.

Sitt spokesperson Tom Corsillo confirmed there was no deal to announce right now regarding Astroland.

“Joe is working to ensure that next year the amusement district will still continue to be a lively and active place,” Corsillo said.

GL Analysis
During his presentation in Coney Island, Mr. Sitt noted that Ms. Albert had sold the business. While the apparent struggle to subsequently keep Astroland open has been rather odd, everyone should be bending over backwards to keep it open as long as possible. If Mr. Sitt is unwilling to extend the lease without getting zoning changes first, it is indicative of disinterest in taking most basic steps to keep Coney Island alive while the redevelopment process moves forward.

Mr. Sitt insists that he has the best intentions for Coney Island and is not trying to damage this long suffering place. Yet, actions generally speak louder than words. If Mr. Sitt had any concern for Coney Island, he would be doing everything in his power to keep it healthy, alive and vital for the duration of the redevelopment process. A thorough public process with real public input--not a mockery of public participation like Atlantic Yards--is vital for Coney Island. If it takes an extra 12 or 24 months, so be it. Too much of Brooklyn's future has already been sold off to the highest bidder and too many projects that will profoundly impact the borough for generations to come have gone forward with little real public input.

If Mr. Sitt unconditionally allows Astroland to stay open as long as the land is truly not at a point at which it can be redeveloped, then he will show good faith. To do otherwise will be an act of disrespect for every Brooklynite and to every New Yorker--of all incomes and ethnicities--that spend some time at Coney Island during the summer.

Regardless of the weirdness surrounding the Astroland transaction, Mr. Sitt should act immediately to guarantee the park another year. There should be no conditions. He should just do it. He clearly has every right not to, but he would earn a lot of good will by doing so. If he is sincere about building public support for his project, acting now to keep Astroland open would be a very smart tactic.

More Details on Sunday's Astroland Protest

Here's the press release about the Astroland demonstration scheduled for Sunday at Noon on what could be the Coney amusement park's last day ever:

Community activist and former Community Board 13 Chairman Brian Gotlieb announced that he would be leading a protest in support of Astroland Amusement Park’s efforts to remain open for the 2008 season. The protest is scheduled to held on Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 12:00 pm at the Surf Avenue entrance to Astroland.

First opened in 1962, Astroland Amusement Park is scheduled to shut its doors forever on September 9, 2007, for a lack of a new lease. Negotiations on a lease for the 2008 season have broken down and there is no resolution in sight. The breakdown apparently centers around the issues of Thor Equities' desire to secure zoning changes and increase Astroland's annual rent from $170,000 to $3 million.

In response to this situation, Gotlieb created an online and paper petition drive asking Mayor Bloomberg, Borough President Markowitz, each of Coney Island's elected officials, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Coney Island Development Corporation, and, Mr. Joseph Sitt, owner of Thor Equities, to join together and negotiate a fair and equitable lease with Astroland's owners that would permit Astroland to remain open beyond the 2007 summer season. To date, more than 5,000 people have signed the petition that can be found at: SAVEASTROLAND.COM or SAVEASTROLAND.ORG.

Astroland, which sits on property that was sold to Thor Equities in November of 2006, is to be replaced as part of a proposed $2 billion Coney Island make-over designed to transform Coney Island into a year-round tourist attraction with hotels and indoor attractions. Despite the sale, there has been hope that arrangements could be made to allow Astroland to stay open for the 2008 season and beyond while plans for the site were still being developed and approved.

According to Gotlieb, "Thus far, it seems as though Mr. Sitt is more anxious to pave paradise and put up a parking lot while the future of the site and community hangs in the balance."

Should be an interesting day.

Astroland Soap Opera Continues: Nevermind the Rides for Sale

Perhaps you recall that we reported on Friday that all the rides at Astroland had been put up for sale and were listed as being available "after Labor Day." It gets curiouser. Now, the Post reports that the city and Astroland's owner are trying to "iron out an 11th-hour deal to keep the amusement park in Coney Island after the summer."

Carol Hill Albert, Astroland's operator who sold the park to developer Joe Sitt and has since blamed the city for leaving her no choice but to sell since she couldn't compete in a "year-round" Coney Island and later started talking about how she might reopen Astroland elsewhere, told the Post that she will hold off on selling the rides. She hopes the city will find an alternate site for the park:

"I really feel we can make this happen," said Albert, who sold the park's 3.1 acres of land to developer Thor Equities last year but still owns nearly all its rides.

Thor will let Albert operate the park this summer but is preparing to clear the land shortly after Labor Day so it can be incorporated into the developer's proposed $2 billion, year-round entertainment complex.

The city wants to move Astroland between the park's western end off West 10th Street and the eastern edge of KeySpan Park at West 16th Street, sources said.

"We all want to keep Carol and Astroland in Coney Island," said Coney Island Development Corp.'s Chuck Reichenthal.

Listen closely, and you can almost hear the sounds of negotiations being conducted that will determine the shape of the final deal between Thor Equities and the city.

Related Post:
Want to Buy a Used Astrotower? All Astroland Rides Up for Sale

Save Astroland Protest

Astroland's last day of the season (and possibly forever) began with a protest calling on developer Joe Sitt to extend the amusement park's life for another year. Blogger Adrian Kinloch captured these images of the event. You can find a photo gallery of his work here and coverage on his blog, Brit in Brooklyn, here. That's Astroland's former owner, Carol Hill Albert, below, facing the microphones.


Links to Astroland Coverage:

Astroland Fans Gather at Coney Island to Protest Closing [NYDN]
Tears as Astroland Closes--Maybe Forever [NYP]
Coney Island's Astroland Closes, Maybe for Good [NYT]
Coney Island: Last Day for Astroland [Brit in Brooklyn]
Last Day at Astroland for the Season or Forever? [Found in Brooklyn]

[Photos courtesy of Adrian Kinloch/adriankinloch.net]

Brooklinks: Wednesday Special Astroland Edition

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related news and images.

• Astroland's Swan Song [NYDN]
• Thor Equities Buys Coney Island's Astroland [Crain's]
• Astroland Sold to Thor Equities [Kinetic Carnival]
• Land Deal Right on the Coney [NYPost]
• Developer Buys Coney's Astroland [Sun]
  
• Astroland Amusement Park Sold [7Online]
• Cyclone Saved, But Beloved Astroland Will Close [AP/NYDN]
• Coney Island's Astroland Closing After 2007 Season [Newyorkology]
• Astroland Sold, Will Close Next Year [Bloomberg]
• Coney Island's Tilt-a-Whirl Has Final Spin [Bloomberg]
  
• Another NYC Legend Going the Way of the Automat [KVIA]
• Developer Buys Amusement Park [NYT]
  

Astroland's Last Hurrah: Opens April Fool's Day

So, Astroland opens for its last season on April 1 and the park is going to have a "Big Blast Off" for the 2007 season, including free rides on the Cyclone for the first 100 people to arrive. A few details from the Carroll Gardens Courier:

This year marks Astroland’s final season, although the Cyclone, which celebrates its 80th birthday this summer, will continue to operate for years to come. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will officially launch the Cyclone at 11:30 a.m. by breaking the ceremonial bottle of authentic Brooklyn Chocolate egg cream against the coaster’s lead car.

The general public will be able to board the Cyclone at 12 p.m. To qualify to ride the Cyclone, youngsters must be at least 54 inches tall. After the first 100 visitors ride for free, the coaster’s regular $6 fee will apply. The Cyclone and the adjacent Astroland Park will also remain open for the afternoon. The Hungry March Band, Kinko the Clown and Angie Pontani will provide entertainment for the festivities.

For additional information, the public can call 718-265-2100 or visit www.astroland.com. The Cyclone, which debuted in the summer of 1927, will celebrate its 80th anniversary June 26. There will be a massive celebration on that day, led by a team of roller coaster-riding octogenarians from around the country. Since 1962, Coney Island’s Astroland has been the centerpiece of the world-famous Coney Island amusement zone, with more than 35 rides and attractions.

Thor Equities bought Astroland last year. The Cyclone is a landmark and will remain, but the remainder of the park will be redeveloped. Current plans call for a hotel and some sort of amusement facility on the site called Coney Island Park.

Astroland #2: The Final Day, Ever?

Gowanus Lounge Analysis:

Astroland in Coney Island opens today at noon, for what may be its last day ever. In an era of theme parks and corporate merchandising of amusements, it is a simple and charming anachronism, a reminder of an era whose time has gone. Astroland is the State Fair Midway and the carnival that set up in the church parking lot that you remember from when you were a kid. We love its cluttered, crowded, noisy Brooklyn charm. It touches something deep inside us to look past the Astroland sign and see the trains rumbling past, to go up in the Astrotower and look down or to watch the faces of the children in those simple little rides.

Our sadness isn't so much that Astroland is going, but that it may be going long before its replacement comes along. Next year, if developer Joe Sitt uses the land as a bargaining chip to pressure the city or exacts revenge for a rejected plan or evicts the former owners because he couldn't squeeze an extra $500,000 in rent from site, the vacant land surrounded by a blue wall of plywood will sit as a dagger through the heart of one of the most diverse destinations in all of Brooklyn. While not as vile as Fred Trump's invitation to guests to throw rocks through the windows of Steeplechase Park in 1964, the premature demise of Astroland is no less a symbolic violation of the very soul of a place for which many Brooklynites care deeply.

We have said it before and we will say it again:

Mr. Sitt, if you have some caring or decency in your body, do not murder Astroland before it needs to go. We know that you can and that you have every right to do so, but oftentimes what one can and what one should do are very different things. We have heard you say that there will be amusements on the land next year. If it was a sincere statement, then, why not simply let the current operation continue?

Keep Astroland open until the land needs to be cleared for development.

It might cost you some money and it might deprive you of something to trade with the city, but you will win something priceless: goodwill from many decent, caring people whose public and political support will be helpful to you.

Mr. Sitt, do the right thing.

GL Analysis: Thank You, Mr. Sitt

After ranting that developer Joe Sitt could show good faith in Coney Island by extending the lease of Astroland, we'd be remiss in not saying something today. After all, Astroland has another year to live, and Coney Island should have a decent summer in 2008. We have given Mr. Sitt our share of grief for the awful handling of things in Coney Island and for needless, premature demolitions and land clearance. Back in September we wrote of keeping Astroland open, "Mr. Sitt, do the right thing." So, we will say this: Mr. Sitt, you did the right thing and there are a lot of people who thank you for it.

When we left Astroland on September 9 after a long, long day of shooting photos, we turned around and literally said, "Goodbye" before we walked to the F Train feeling very empty. While we're not happy that we will get to have that feeling all over again next September, for now, we're glad to know there will be fireworks on Friday night, that we can go up in the Astrotower again and that we can wander around that outdated, little state fair-like midway again for another summer season. In its simplicity, Astroland reminds of us of something that is fast disappearing in a world of megabucks development and corporate blandness. It is real and it is genuine and it brings us back to a time when a carnival set up in a church parking lot and nobody knew what a latte was, let alone Starbucks.

All that having been said, we still feel a little bit like we're thanking someone for not pulling a trigger when they picked up a gun and pointed it at someone's head in the first place.

We remain deeply skeptical about Mr. Sitt's plans for Coney Island--about the 3o- and 40-story buildings, about the residential plans which have morphed into condo-hotel plans and about the densities and designs in general. There is a lot of plywood in windows that wasn't there before and a sense that bulldozers are waiting in the wings to start leveling more buildings, including a couple that local preservationists would like to see spared.

A lot more should be known about what will happen in the next week or two when the city's zoning recommendations are released. At that point, we will know if there was a quid pro quo for extending Astroland's lease (for instance, watering down the amusement district by allowing residential development along Stillwell Avenue) or if Mr. Sitt simply chose not to do violence to Coney Island.

We have said many times that we do not oppose development in Coney Island. Anyone with a sense of its history can't look at a vast school bus parking lot next to the boardwalk or vacant lots and want to preserve it that way. The issue is how Coney Island is redeveloped, not if. If Coney Island is a thriving, vital place full of amusements five or six years from now, with residential development west of KeySpan Park, everyone will win. If a large part of it is rebuilt as a bland and lifeless place of generic condo towers dwarfing their neighbors and if part of the amusement district ends up looking like a shopping mall in New Jersey, but with nicer signs, then everybody loses. Coney Island isn't the place for that.

The critical zoning issues in Coney Island won't be settled until late 2008, at best. The discussion could well extend further if there is contention about the plan. In that case, we could be back at this same point at this time next year.

Those, however, are all points to be dissected on another day. Today, we can finally say that after numerous public relations debacles that have turned some opinion against the Thor project, Mr. Sitt has done a good thing--and a politically smart thing--by allowing Astroland to stay open.

Thank you.

Astroland "One More Year" Demonstration Scheduled for Park's Last Day

You didn't think that Astroland would go quietly, did you? A demonstration has been scheduled on Sunday, September 9, at "high noon" to show support for the park and to call for a one-year reprieve by developer Joe Sitt and Thor Equities, which bought the park for $30 million last year. (Sunday is Astroland's closing day, perhaps forever, if the developer follows through with plans.) A supporter writes on the Coney Island Message Board:

Bring yourself, your friends and family. Don’t forget to make signs! If you don’t have materials, come early (11am) and create your own sign. I'll have foamboard and markers on hand. Wear colorful clothes- this is not a wake or a funeral! We will march through Astroland to celebrate our attachment to the park and express our desire that it reopen for the 2008 season! Remember how the B & B Carousell was saved on the eve of the auction? We're hoping for another last minute reprieve.

The demonstration is being organized by Brian Gotlieb, who started a petition drive to save the park that has garnered 5,000 signatures. Astroland's is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at Noon. On Friday, children's rides and the Cyclone open at Noon, with other rides open at 4. On Sunday, the Hungry March Band is scheduled for 6 PM and mariachis will be on the boardwalk from 4PM to 6PM.

Paper copies of the petition can be signed at the Coney Island History Booth, which is located on Surf Avenue, beneath the Cyclone. (It will be open from Noon-6, Friday through Sunday). The petition can also be signed and also downloaded from the Save Astroland website.

GL Analysis
GL will go out on a limb and suggest that the premature closing and demolition of Astroland is another PR disaster in the making. While the developer would gain a significant amount of goodwill by agreeing to keep the park open until the land is legitimately needed for development, early closure is unlikely to win any friends in New York City or Brooklyn. One would hope that an agreement on a lease extension at a reasonable rent (the current rent is $180,000 and Thor Equities was said to be asking for $3 million for next year) is forthcoming. While we are fully aware that the owners built their own coffin, so to speak, by selling to Mr. Sitt, the developer has the ability to delay digging the hole and lowering it in. It is, in fact, a very simple way to cultivate support.

Astroland Will Live to See Another Year

Astroland will live for another year. The amusement park and developer Joe Sitt have signed a lease extending the park's life through 2008. The lease was signed on Tuesday and stories began appearing late this afternoon. Astroland owner Carol Albert told the Village Voice blog Runnin' Scared: "I'm very pleased for my employees and I'm very happy to be part of another tremendous year for Coney Island." amNY reports Mr. Sitt saying in a statement: "Thor is fully committed to keeping amusements and games as part of the fabric of Coney Island for decades to come, and today's agreement ... represents the first step in that direction."

The park will open for another year on March 18.

Links:
Coney Island's Astroland Gets a New Lease on Life [AP/Newsday]
Astroland Lives for One More Summer! [Runnin' Scared]
Astroland to return for another year [amNY]

Breaking News: Coney Island's Astroland Sold to Thor, Closing Next Year

We don't normally do straight copy and paste, but in this case we will. Thor Equities has purchased Astroland in Coney Island. It will close at the end of the 2007 season. More in the morning. For now, this from the Associated Press via the Daily News:

The vintage Astroland Amusement Park, one of the anchors of Coney Island since its 1962 opening, was purchased Tuesday by a developer intent on restoring the Brooklyn beachfront as a $1.5 billion year-round resort.

The Albert family, owners of the well-known park, will close the 3.1-acre attraction at the end of the 2007 summer season under the deal reached with Thor Equities. The Alberts will continue to operate the landmark Cyclone roller-coaster, which turns 80 next year, under an existing agreement with the city.

The decision to sell was "very difficult and made only after months of extensive discussion," said Carol Hill Albert, co-owner of Astroland with husband Jerome. The park was launched by her late father-in-law, Dewey Albert.

In the end, the cost of converting Astroland to a year-round operation was too steep. The family had turned down larger bids last year "in the hope of finding an alternative that would enable us to keep our current location," Albert said — but it didn't pan out.

Thor Equities plans a $1.5 billion, year-round facility in Coney Island. Although no price was given for the Astroland purchase, Thor had already spent $100 million snapping up properties along the venerable boardwalk.

Thor's plans include a mix of amusements and attractions, including a new roller coaster and a new hotel to accommodate the anticipated arrival of new tourists.

The site of the amusement park is renowned for another reason. Local legend has it that restaurateur Charles Feltman invented the hot dog there in 1874.

The Alberts, although they sold their property to Thor, retained ownership of attractions like the water flume and the Astrotower in hopes of adding some new rides and relocating to another section of the neighborhood.

The amusement park employs about 300 workers every summer, and Albert was hopeful that city and Brooklyn officials could help with relocation costs.

"The Albert family is proud to have provided so many wonderful memories for so many generations and to have been such an important part of New York's world famous Coney Island," Albert said.

Coming Tomorrow: Thor buys the naming rights to Coney Island and tries to decide between Sittville, Sitt Island and ThorSittia.

Will City Transfer Parks Dept. Land to Coney Developer?

There's more detail on the possible transfer of Coney Island land controlled by the Parks Department to Taconic Investment Partners, and the possible deal is not being embraced with unanimity in the community. Taconic, which is acquiring land around the historic Childs Building for a major development, is looking to add city-owned land to its holding. Sarah Ryley reports in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that Taconic Senior VP Ari Shalam says the "negotiations are complicated because the transfer of land controlled by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation requires state legislation, and the replacement of an equal amount of land elsewhere in the vicinity." The story, which breaks new ground in reporting details of the Taconic part of the Coney Island redevelopment, continues:

Several people in the community, when made aware of the negotiations, say a private developer shouldn’t get control of the land. They say the vacant land and waterfront parking lots should be turned into a public park or used for amusements accessible to the working class, such as a new home for Astroland Park.

“They want to put luxury housing in, but when you come down here it’s a very democratic place — you see every variety of human being that you can imagine,” says Coney Island resident Ida Sanhoff. “When they put in this luxury housing, how are those people going to feel about going to the beach and sitting next to all these poor people?”

Taconic, which controls a 99-year lease of the landmarked Child’s building and owns an adjacent vacant block, in addition to vacant property north of KeySpan Park, plans to build a mixed-use development on the waterfront site. Plans include ground-floor “entertainment retail ,” housing and “food-related uses” in the restaurant.

The Eagle reports that Astroland's Carol Albert is interested in the land:

Carol Hill Albert, whose family has operated Astroland for 45 years, says she’d be very interested in moving her rides west of KeySpan, to land owned by the Parks Department...Albert has, in the past, offered to help the city pay to move Astroland’s rides anywhere in Coney Island, and recently agreed to take them off the auction block in response to pleas from elected officials.

But despite the ostensibly fervent effort on the part of the city to keep Astroland in Coney Island, Albert says she often feels put on the back burner, in favor of the big developers like Taconic and Thor Equities, and left to fend for herself.

If you've joined the show midway, we should note that Ms. Albert sold the property on which Astroland is currently located to Thor.

Related Post:
Taconic Working to Buy Land from Parks Department

Astroland Rides No Longer on Sale? Someone Tell the Vendor

We've read several times this week that Astroland's rides are no longer up for sale at that carnival ride auction site. Yet, lo and behold, when you click over to ITAL Intl., you still find all the rides available for purchase, just like they were last week when we first found them. The Astroland tale--the surprise sale, the voiced regrets, the desire to stay open another season, the attempt to find a new location--has been full of strange developments. So, is it just a website that's slow to pull things down when they're no longer on sale? Are they keeping them up to hedge their bets, as it probably takes a while to sell a 1965-vintage Water Flume? Stay tuned.

Related Posts:
Astroland Soap Opera Continues: Nevermind the Rides for Sale
Want to Buy a Used Astrotower? Astroland Rides Up for Sale

Thor Extending Some Coney Leases for 2008: Astroland Saved?

Thor Equities and developer Joe Sitt are said to have offered leases for the 2008 season to some Coney Island businesses. The development was reported yesterday on the Save Coney Island MySpace page and is reported in today's papers. Jotham Sederstrom has coverage in today's Daily News:

It may not be the last ride for Astroland after all.

Coney Island mega-developer Thor Equities yesterday made an eleventh-hour deal to let a string of popular Coney Island Boardwalk vendors stay through next summer - and the owners of the historic Astroland amusement park hope they will be next.

"This makes me even more hopeful," said Astroland owner Carol Hill Albert, who shuttered the 45-year-old amusement park Sept. 9 but is still pushing for a deal to let her stay through next summer.

Albert, who sold the property to Thor last year, said the developer this week backed off its demand for $3 million in rent for next summer.

The statement posted last night on the Save Coney website says:

Coney Island will continue to Amaze and Astound in 2008!!

Hurray!!!

Fantastic news!!

Many of the businesses in Coney Island including Lola Staar, Ruby's and Cha Cha's were told by Thor Equities that they would be offered an Agreement for the summer 2008 season!! It is not confirmed but it looks as though Thor Equities is also still negotiating with Astroland to allow them to remain open in Coney Island for the 2008 season as well.

This is tremendous news! It means that this past summer was not the last summer of Coney Island as we know it!!

Long live Coney Island!!

There had been rumors that Thor would be making an announcement of some kind before the end of the week.

Is Astroland Really Toast: Perhaps. Perhaps Not.

Ever since Astroland owner Carol Albert sold her amusement park to developer Joe Sitt, she has been voicing regrets. She suggested that the city's plans to make Coney a year-round destination made it impossible to continue in business and led her to sell. She said that she was talking with Mr. Sitt about the possibility of staying open another year. She voiced skepticism about the developers plans for Coney Island. She put Astroland's rides up for sale on an online auction site, then said they were no longer on sale (they're still up online) because she was hoping to cut a deal with the city for a new site. Neil deMause in the Village Voice blog Runnin' Scared fills in with some detail gleaned from that Municipal Art Society forum the other night:

Unfortunately, [Coney Island Development Corp. President Lynn] Kelly's deliberate timetable may mean it will be the last summer for Astroland, which is being evicted by Thor from its home of 45 years at year's end. Though owner Carol Hill Albert has been looking for a new site somewhere between the Cyclone and Keyspan Park - the area the CIDC has staked out for traditional amusements - she says that despite reports to the contrary, she's not close to consummating any deals.

The holdup, she agrees, is less lack of vacant land - Coney Island is swimming in that - than the fact that the current private landholders don't want to make any moves until they see the new zoning regs. "We can only wait so long before we have to decide to sell these rides, and we've already waited a long time," she told the Voice earlier this week. "So we're hoping that something can be worked out. That's all we have is a little ray of hope here."

Asked specifically about the future of Astroland last night, Kelly didn't open Albert's hope window much wider. "The reality is that there's not a lot of land that the city owns in the amusement district," Kelly said, and though the city does own several dead-end streets that conceivably could have rides set up on them, city procurement regulations make that difficult. "We're talking about it with her. We're going to try to find a solution. I can't say we're definitely going to have one."

We do not read them as hopeful words.

Astroland Rides Still Listed Online for Sale

Those Astroland rides that have been up for sale, but that are supposedly no longer on sale? Well, we don't know about that, but what we do know is that we looked online and found that (as of this morning) they're still listed for sale. In the meantime, someone that called Astroland reports on the Coney Island Message Board:

I spoke with the management office. She told me that the last day that Astroland will be open is Saturday, 08 September 2007, and that after that date it will be totally shut down for good, and will be dismantled.

Of course, as usual, we would expect tomorrow's story to be that Astroland will remain open in 2008. And Wednesday's story will be about its permanent closure. And Thursday's story...

Astroland Reopens in a Month

It seems like only yesterday we look over our shoulder on Astroland's "last day" and said goodbye. Well, there are already signs that Astroland is preparing to reopen for the 2008 season, according to the gentleman who goes by the name of Captain Nemo on the Coney Island Message Board. In fact, because Easter is early this year, Astroland is reopening on March 16. That is barely a month from now.