The fight against the Parks Department's plan to concrete-ify the Coney Island boardwalk is not over yet. A weekend rally against the scheduled wood-to-concrete and plastic conversion of the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk attracted about 100 locals who met to protest the conversion as well as Mayor de Blasio's rote continuation of the Bloomberg-era initiative that first launched the conversion campaign, reports Coney Island-centric blog Amusing the Zillion. The crowd also included prominent politicians like Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Public Advocate Letitia James who all spoke out to the community against the conversion.
An earlier attempt to landmark the boardwalk was shot down by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, to the chagrin of the group. "The Landmarks Preservation Commission must find an option that respects both the history of the Boardwalk and our city's sustainability goals," said Comptroller Scott Stringer (h/t NYDN). The same sentiment was echoed by borough president Adams (h/t AtZ): "The song is 'Under the Boardwalk,' it is not 'Under the Concrete' ... , "I'm so proud of this community that you understand government has to adhere to your wishes."
Whether or not the Parks Department will address the project's widespread disapproval has yet to be seen. The department claims the plan to remake the boardwalk with plastic imitation wood and concrete is economically and environmentally sound, citing environmental concerns over deforestation as a primary motive against rebuilding in wood.
· City pols, locals blast plan to convert Coney Island Boardwalk from wood into concrete [NYDN]
· An Historic First As Elected Officials Join Community's Fight to Save Coney Island Boardwalk [AtZ]
· Walking the Plank: Letitia James Blasts Bill de Blasio Over Boardwalk Plan [NYO]
· Parks Defends Plans For Fake Wood, Concrete Coney Boardwalk [Curbed]
· Despite Outrage, Concrete Likely for Coney Island Boardwalk [Curbed]
· All Coney Island Boardwalk coverage [Curbed]
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