Even More 'Visions' for Coney Island, Whee!

[Images courtesy of the Municipal Art Society/flickr]

Yesterday, we featured a collection of renderings that people had come up with for the Municipal Art Society's ImagineConey effort. Well, there are more that have been released today. We're sort of digging on the Tuna Town Trolley, the Historic Path and the Paradise of Disasters (does not include Wall Street) ourselves, but there are a couple of gems in there that make developer Joe Sitt look Mr. Sensitive. In the words of the MAS, these are "ideas for a visionary new 21st century amusement district and the steps necessary to achieve it." There will be a public meeting about it all tonight.

The MAS lays out a bunch of principles for making Coney Island "a dynamic and robust entertainment and amusement destination":

New York City Should Buy the Land for an Amusement Area. At current land values, it is unrealistic to expect private developers to construct amusements in Coney Island. Building on it’s successful effort to purchase a parcel last November, New York City should purchase enough land for a Coney Island Amusement Area of sufficient scale that could then be managed by a private, third-party entity overseeing a mix of large, small and mid-scale operators.

Refine Vision for a Viable Coney Island. Building on the strategic plan developed by the city, key stakeholders should develop a specific master plan for Coney Island that incorporates 25 acres of amusements, excluding retail and hotel uses, to support a minimum of 3.4 million visitors annually. The refined vision should include a signature, iconic ride that re-establishes Coney Island as world-class destination and enough rides to support up to 15,000 visitors at any one time.

Shape the Zoning to Complement Refined Vision. New York City should ensure that its zoning for Coney Island North and West requires entertainment-related uses – including hotels and entertainment-related retail - that complement the activity in the amusement district.

Launch Interim Programming to Support Area in Short-Term. Coney Island cannot be allowed to lie fallow in the upcoming years. Key stakeholders should engage a producer to develop short- and longer-term programming in Coney Island using existing and temporary spaces to ensure activity and attract visitors to Coney Island while long-term development efforts take shape.

In the meantime, no one knows what Coney Island will look like when the new season starts in May.
· Imagine Coney! Public Ideas Photoset [flickr]
· Coney Renderings Are Nice, But Action is Needed [Gowanus Lounge]
· And, Now, the Most Bizarro Coney Island Renderings Ever [Curbed]