NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- After 45 years, Coney Island's Astroland Amusement Park was expected to close Sunday.
The park was sold to developer Thor Equities last year after a half-century of neglect.
Coney Island is targeted for a $1 billion renovation aimed at creating a year-round attraction to compete against the theme parks that nearly obliterated the neighborhood.
"Coney Island seemed like it was in a time warp, and would never change," said Dick Zigun, operator of the local Sideshows By the Seashore attraction. "Why not have a bigger, better, more exciting Coney Island?
Other local merchants agree — although some wonder if the unique local flavor will disappear once Thor Equities starts developing its $100 million in recently purchased properties.
"People are worried about losing the certain character that Coney Island has always had," said Carol Albert, whose family runs the legendary Cyclone roller coaster and the Astroland Amusement Park. "It's a fine line. You don't want to lose the character, but ..."
The "but" rests with Thor, developer of a three-block-long, one-block-deep section off the boardwalk (along with some other properties). Its CEO and founder, Joe Sitt, maintains a personal interest in the Coney Island project: The Brooklyn native still jogs along the boardwalk.
Sitt's local roots were a boon in avoiding the pitfalls that often plague major development, said Chuck Reichenthal, head of Community Board 13 in Coney Island.
"He really does understand what Coney Island was, what it is and what it can be," Reichenthal said.
The developer's plans include a high-end hotel (perhaps shaped like a roller coaster), a water park, retail outlets and residential property.
Coney Island once was something special, the most popular resort destination in the country. But "America's Playground" suffered though a long post-World War II decline.
The deterioration was as unfortunate as it was unpredictable.
When the Cyclone opened in 1927, Coney Island was the apex of American entertainment. Charles Lindbergh came to ride the great roller coaster. Sigmund Freud stopped by the Dreamland amusement park. The hot dog debuted in Coney Island, as did the roller coaster.
But in 1944, a fire destroyed one of the great amusements areas, Luna Park. Developer Robert Moses, no fan of Coney Island, designed highways that made it easy to bypass the city beach — or just abandon it for the suburbs.
City housing sprung up in the '60s and '70s — towering "vertical slums," as the locals called them. Crack arrived in the '80s.
Today, the area along the boardwalk is a mix of vacant lots and vintage storefronts. "Shoot the Freak," where visitors fire paintballs at a human target (five shots for $3), endures near the classic boardwalk saloon Ruby's.
Although some wonder if such old-school Coney Island attractions can coexist with the new, Silberstein said that Sitt had guaranteed all businesses on Thor property a location in his development.
There are some parts of Coney Island that will remain untouched. The Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel and what's left of the Parachute Jump are all designated landmarks.
But there are other sections that demand attention: The rotting home of the old Playland arcade, or the once-grand Child's Restaurant, now splashed with spray paint and sealed with metal grates.
Sitt is not the only one betting on a revamped Coney Island; so are city officials. A new $240 million subway station was opened at Stillwell Avenue, once one of the dingiest stops in the entire transit system.
And another $83 million — including $73 million from the city — was pledged to create better parking, new streets and open space. Boardwalk improvements were expected to be finished by the end of 2007, with a new cultural center anticipated to open by 2009.
"It's a long process," said Reichenthal. "But people should come down this year and imagine what all those empty lots are going to look like in a couple of years. It's the start of a new era."
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