Adams Pitches 1,500 New Homes and $42M Renovation for Coney Island

Despite the current controversy surrounding his administration, Mayor Eric Adams still had time to focus on a major investment in Brooklyn’s Coney Island.

Adams’s new plan for the onetime summer tourist hotspot includes 1,500 new homes, a renovation of the Riegelmann Boardwalk, a $42 million renovation of the Abe Stark Sports Center and improvements to the neighborhood’s streets and sewers, according to the Thursday announcement.

“Coney Island is America’s playground — home to iconic venues and parks, countless small businesses, and a hardworking community,” Adams said in a statement. “Our administration is advancing a vision to turn this waterfront district into a great place to live, work and play, contributing to making New York City the best place to raise a family.”

Adams proposed the project at his State of the City address last month, but his announcement this week gave more details. The mayor said the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has issued a request for proposals for an 80,000-square-foot, city-owned site on Surf Avenue between West 21st and West 22nd streets for the project called Coney Island West.

The city is looking for companies that “share a vision for inclusive, sustainable growth that honors Coney Island’s rich history” to develop the site, which will consist of more than 500 mixed-income homes — 25 percent of which will be affordable — and ground-floor retail space, according to the announcement.

“The projects underway in Coney Island West will bring hundreds of new, affordable homes to the community, and it helps deliver on the mayor’s commitment to consider all publicly owned lots for new housing development,” NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball said in a statement.

Adams’s renovation of the sports center will include a new entrance and signage on the boardwalk, as well as improved ice-skating facilities and other amenities. Meanwhile, the boardwalk’s reconstruction will “take place in phases,” the administration said.

Through a $2.1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city will also work to create a series of “shoreline enhancements” along Coney Island Creek to protect against rising sea levels and other effects of climate change, according to the announcement.

“Coney Island has long been a symbol of resilience, culture and community,” Randy Peers, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. “The renovation of the historic boardwalk, the upgrades to the Abe Stark sports complex, and the introduction of a brand-new mixed-income development will bring new life to this beloved area, blending its rich history with a bright future.”

But while this and other developments are moving forward for “America’s playground,” things aren’t looking so bright for a casino in Coney Island.

A proposal for a $3 billion casino development — put forward by a development team of Thor Equities, Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation and Legends — has fallen flat after the land-use committee for Brooklyn Community Board 13 rejected the developers’ application last month, the New York Post reported.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.