More drawings of Coney Island's future have arrived. We came across these "conceptual plans" on the website of Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects via a Coney Island blog called Kinetic Carnival, which found them via a Wired New York Forum. The drawing above with all the miniature Parachute Jumps is the latest (conceptual) vision of Thor Equities' $1 billion, 10-acre Coney Island redevelopment project. How this Vegas-Times Square-by-the-Sea shopping mall vibe evolved from last year's (early conceptual) Glam-Rock extreme makeover, we don't know. EE&K, which is working for Thor, says the current concept "fits into" the Coney Island Development Corporation's Master Plan. If you're getting an odd deja vu feeling, but can't quite place it, EE&K is designing the MGM Mirage Project in Las Vegas and also did master plans for Metrotech in Downtown Brooklyn, for Battery Park City and for the ongoing Asbury Park boardwalk redevelopment in New Jersey. There are several more visions of Coney's conceptual future after the jump.
· Coney Island Conceptual Designs [Kinetic Carnival via Wired Forum]
· Coney Island Development Update [Curbed]
· Coney Island's Glam Rock Makeover [New York]
The plan, as expected, includes several highrises on the ocean side of Surf Avenue. One is supposed to be a hotel, which would leave the others as luxe highrises. Note the similarity of the tallest building to the Albee Square building Thor is planning in downtown Brooklyn.
The is the daytime view of the "Stillwell Walk." The ferris wheel in the distance is something it looks like Thor wants to build on a new pier out over the water.
And, here's the plan from above, showing the highrises and, yes, a new pier.