Saddest News Ever. Its been coming for awhile, but I still had hopes they would make it.

Coney Island's Astroland Park to Shut, Owner Says (Update1)

By David M. Levitt
Enlarge Image/Details

Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Coney Island's Astroland Amusement Park will close on Sunday for good, owner Carol Albert said.

Albert, whose family has operated the park since it opened in 1962, said in a statement that she would not continue negotiations with the park's owner, Thor Equities LLC, to whom she sold the park in 2006.

The park, near the southern Brooklyn shoreline, has carried on Coney Island's tradition of offering inexpensive rides and amusements, a tradition that dates back to the 19th Century, while nearby parks fell into ruin. Thor plans a $2 billion redevelopment of the area, including a year-round modern amusement park.

``I have given up on trying to get Thor to negotiate, which I have attempted to do every month since June, and numerous times since August,'' she said. ``Each time their response was `we have no answer.'''

Stefan Friedman, a spokesman for Thor President Joseph Sitt, said in an e-mailed statement that the company was ``extremely disappointed that Carol Albert has decided to give up on the future of Coney Island when her current lease isn't even up for a number of months.''

Coney Island next summer will be ``fully open for business'' with ``amusements, games, shopping and entertainment galore,'' he said.

Political Efforts

City Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr., who represents Coney Island, said he and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz plan to have a meeting ``with all the parties'' to see if they can break the impasse.

``I'm trying to get Thor to give her an extension,'' Recchia said. ``The Albert family has done great things down there. But I also understand Thor Equities's position.''

He said he has a commitment from Thor that it would operate an amusement park on the Astroland site next year if an agreement with the Alberts can't be reached.

``Their word means something to me and I believe them,'' Recchia said.

The Alberts last October negotiated a one-year lease of Astroland's 3.1 acre (1.24 hectare) boardwalk site.

``They might just be seeing who blinks first here,'' said Deno Vourderis, 27, whose family owns Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, next door to Astroland. ``I'm not convinced it's gone. But if it is and Thor wants to find other amusements, that could be a good thing too.''

``Needless''

``This is a needless loss of some 500 jobs for no reason whatsoever and shows that neither Thor nor the city is working with the amusement industry,'' said Dick Zigun, the founder and artistic director of Coney Island USA Inc., a non-profit group dedicated to preserving the traditional amusement park area.

``The water flume, the Astro tower. the break dancer, the pirate ship, 30 kiddie rides -- and we are talking about the major operation within Coney Island -- would be needlessly shut down,'' Zigun said.

Sitt and Albert have been at the center of a long debate over the future of the historic resort, which the city has sought to rezone to encourage more amusements. Sitt has offered to build a year-round amusement park, surrounded by hotels, condominiums and a large mall. His critics, including deputy mayor Robert Lieber, say the plans rely too heavily on housing and retail, and will undercut Coney Island's honky-tonk character.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who appointed Lieber to oversee the city's economic development effort, is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, parent company of Bloomberg News.

Lynn Kelly, who oversees the city's redevelopment effort as president of the Coney Island Development Corp., called Albert's announcement ``a serious wake-up call'' for those concerned about Coney Island's state of ``limbo.''

The city's ``comprehensive rezoning plan'' is ``the only hope for preserving the amusement area and bringing the necessary jobs, infrastructure and affordable housing to the neighborhood.''

To contact the reporter on this story: David M. Levitt in New York at dlevitt@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: September 4, 2008 17:41 EDT

Here's to hoping that someone is able to preserve & maintain these amazing rides. I hope especially that Dante's Inferno gets a good home.

Wow, I'm going to take a day trip tomorrow just to visit one last time and get some photos.



Maybe I'll go by Toy Tokyo too! Bring up my spirits by spending some $$$.

I told myself the exact same thing until I remembered about the incoming hurricane - horrible that I won't get a last day at astroland!

This blows so hard, I knew about it for a while too, but still. People just have no taste anymore, who the hell would WANT that closed? Assholes, just tearing down all the fun.