Amusement Park Bigwigs Ponder Coney Island's Future
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Amusement experts hope to offer this week a road map on how to make Coney Island viable and vibrant again, after holding some brainstorming sessions. NY1's Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.Amusement and entertainment industry leaders spent Tuesday taking in the sights and sounds of Coney Island. Their goal is to offer free insight and expertise into how to make the area a premier destination once again.
"I had not been to Coney Island for like 20 years or so, and I tell you, I'm impressed with what I see," said President Will Morey of Morey's Piers. "Not only in the authenticity of the place but in the potential."
The Coney Island Development Corporation helped put together the advisory panel as the city is more than halfway through the process of rezoning the area. The plan is to create and control an amusement district and to transform Coney Island into a year-round entertainment center.
"They don't teach amusements in school. You have to go to the industry veterans and experts for guidance," said Lynn Kelly of CIDC.
The panel members listened to long-time stakeholders like Dennis Vourderis, whose family has owned Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, seen above, for decades.
"We have to keep in mind as we're planning for the future to make sure we keep it affordable for the people that come here, because they're coming here with a $2 train ride," said Vourderis.
The experts got a taste of how much nostalgia is associated with Coney Island as they ate hot dogs at the original Nathan's restaurant.
"One thing that you learn about Coney Island when you come here is that when you ride the Cyclone or you ride the Wonder Wheel, those are lifetime experiences that you never forget," said President Jim Seay of Premier Rides.
The panels needs to figure out how to keep Coney Island's unique flavor while making it a 21st-century attraction. Kieran Burke, the former CEO of Six Flags, says the amusement area needs some must-see, state-of-the-art rides.
"I would say that one of the things that would be important here would ultimately, in the amusement zone, be some signature rides that people really want to come and do," said Burke.
The walking tour ended at the New York Aquarium, but the job for the panel members is far from over. Three days of work sessions were scheduled to address all sorts of issues, including interim to long term uses, programming and designs, marketing and economics.
The panel's findings will be released Thursday.