The Coney Island Boardwalk may trade part of its iconic wooden walkway for a less endearing, but more durable concrete path. NYDN reports that, after securing additional funding, the city is moving ahead with its plan to convert part of the iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk to what they assert is a sturdier and a less-expensive material. Critics of the measure, of which there are many, argue that the wooden portions of the 2.5-mile stretch actually held up much better during Hurricane Sandy than its concrete sections.
Those critics of the plan, first announced during the Bloomberg administration and resumed in November, have pulled out the go-to weapon for halting change: a preservation campaign. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is reviewing the request, which will likely take at least a year. A petition against the change is ongoing.
The Rockaway Boardwalk is also undergoing a partial conversion to concrete, prompting us to imagine a future in which stories are passed down about why boardwalks, like the record and film before it, are known by that no-longer-sensical name.
· City moves to convert Coney Island Boardwalk to concrete [NYDN]
· Petition: Designate Historic Riegelmann Boardwalk as Scenic Landmark [Change.org]
· All Coney Island Boardwalk coverage [Curbed]
· All Rockaway Boardwalk coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...