City Council Expected to Pass Coney Island Rezoning

City Council members, including local Councilman Domenic Recchia and Speaker Christine Quinn, held a press conference early Wednesday afternoon to say that the Council was expected to pass the Bloomberg administration–backed rezoning of Coney Island.

The rezoning would turn vacant lots now zoned for amusements into residential; and would allow some hotels, retail and indoor amusements in the central amusement area of the historic entertainment hub.

We'll have more soon, after the Council vote, which is expected Wednesday afternoon.

Update 3:38 p.m.:

More details on the press conference.

While Mr. Recchia said that the Bloomberg administration has reached a compromise with Thor Equities' Joe Sitt—the main landlord in the proposed rezoning—he shed little light on the details of the compromise, and whether they even have been finalized. “The Bloomberg administration has reached an agreement with Thor Equities, and they are working on all of the details,” Mr. Recchia said, adding that under the current agreement, there will be 10 acres of parkland (as opposed to 9 acres from last week’s Land-Use Committee vote) and hopefully more.

City Council members at the press conference emphasized that the soon-to-be-passed legislation would revive Coney Island’s greatness as a year-round destination.

Diane Savino reminisced about taking “staycations” to Coney Island as a 10 year old with her grandfather every Saturday. “Even then, Coney Island was a shadow of its former self.”

Mr. Recchia said that there could be up to four hotels under the current plan, but he expects that there will most likely be two.

bkavoussi@observer.com