Welcome to the City of Brooklyn! Good afternoon Chairwoman Burden and members of the City Planning Commission.

Worldwide, the words “Coney Island” conjure “America’s favorite playground”—renowned for its outlandish amusements, a beautiful beach and bustling boardwalk, food and entertainment, and a unique sense of affordable family fun. As many of you know, I grew up in poverty here in Brooklyn—Coney was where I spent summers as a child, and it remains an essential part of childhood for generations of children past, present and future.

In a time when it is imperative for all parties to come together to deliver a full season of festivities, I am proud to say that all Coney stakeholders have truly outdone themselves. This summer, we all stand together and say loud and clear that Coney Island is indeed “Really Fun—and Really Open!”

In summer 2009, families in New York City and beyond will not only have the chance to experience the Deno’s Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone, the energy of Cyclones baseball and Friday night fireworks, the Mermaid Parade, Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, the sideshow wackiness of “Coney Island USA,” as well as the music of Siren Fest and the Seaside Summer Concert Series at Asser Levy Park and the aquatic adventures at the New York Aquarium. Now, thanks to the Mayor and Taconic, fun-seekers will be welcomed under the big top for the Ringling Brothers “Coney Island Boom A Ring.” And thanks to Thor Equities and Joe Sitt, they will revel in the “Festival by the Sea,” which will feature over 25 rides, hundreds of local Brooklyn merchants, including the great Red Hook food vendors, and promises the largest collection of circus freaks in the world.

Let’s face it, as we continue to work to ensure Coney’s bright future, we don’t always agree on everything. But Coney Island is bigger than all of us. It was here before we were ever thought of, and with our strong commitment, it will be here and thriving long after we’re gone. Coney Island is about families—and it is a tribute to all involved that we are all committed to making sure Coney Island is indeed the “place to be” in New York City all summer long.

Now, let’s get to the matter at hand.
           
I commend the Mayor and City officials for this Coney Island Plan, which prioritizes the creation of a year-round, affordable Coney Island for the 21st century. After taking into consideration public hearing testimony and suggestions offered by residents, amusement operators and businesses, as well as stakeholders on all sides of the issue, I am pleased to approve the City’s plan, along with what I view as some “improvements.”

My recommendations can be summed up this way: Number one, add more amusements. Number two, guarantee that famous Coney Island glitz and “bling” by creating a design committee to ensure awe-inspiring architecture. And finally, make sure that anything we build we “build with Coney, by Coney  and for Coney”—that is, we must ensure that the local community gets the jobs, affordable housing, rewards and resources that come along with revitalization. The local community deserves nothing less!

Let me start with my call for more amusements. As you know, it has always been my goal to ensure Coney Island remains an amusement park. That is to say, it should not be a place for quote-unquote “big-box” retail. As you know, I have not agreed with the community board in allowing greater square footage for retail. Clubs—yes! Restaurants—yes! Bowling alleys—sure! Hotels—of course! Hotels are part of the Coney tradition (there was once a hotel shaped like an elephant!) but Coney Island must not become a mall. It must be an amusement park—a vibrant part of this City’s tourist economy.

That’s why I am calling for approximately 100,000 more square feet of amusements in the special Coney Island District. As we all know, when a family arrives at Coney Island and is walking toward the beach from the beautiful Stillwell Avenue station, many walk along Stillwell and West 10th Street. We must ensure that as they walk, this family will immediately feel they have entered a very special place, dedicated to fun and amusement. I believe amusements should be there at the storefront level to greet them. The City’s plan currently does not require any ground floor amusements along these streets. I therefore ask that the required ground floor amusement space be increased from zero to a minimum of 15 percent of the frontage on Surf and Stillwell Avenues and West 10th Street, with a goal of ensuring at least 150,000 square feet—or approximately three-and-a-half acres—of amusement space in the special Coney Island District.

Along these same lines, when this family, perhaps of modest means, comes to Coney—as mine once did and as so many do today—I want them to be transported to a special place full of wonder. Back at the turn of the last century, we know that Coney’s Luna Park filled visitors with awe. In his book Coney Island Lost and Found, author Charles Denson describes it this way: a place “filled with fantasy architecture, towers, minarets, colonnades, castles, spires, domes and globes—every inch of them strung with light bulbs—the park became known as the ‘Electric Eden.’”
           
I am calling for establishing a Coney Island Design Committee charged with ensuring that the development of the Coney Island amusement area remains unique, creative and iconic with regard to elements such as architecture, signage, lighting and the preservation of appropriate buildings and amusements, and upholding certain aesthetic values for thrilling, over-the-top design both now and in the future (and by the way, I can think of no better person to chair this Committee than you, Amanda Burden—you know design!).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I ask that when we implement this plan, we “build with Coney, by Coney, and for Coney” by guaranteeing local jobs, affordable housing, rewards and resources for the local residents and businesses who have “kept the faith” through Coney island’s lean times. To ensure that employers involved in construction and operation of amusements, retail and other businesses provide opportunities for local residents, I call on the City to require the following in all “requests for proposals” (RFPs) it issues:

• That there be targeted outreach so that residents of Coney Island benefit by obtaining not less than 50 percent of new jobs created as a result of the Coney Island Plan
• That union labor be used where appropriate, and all contractors, subcontractors and employers pay prevailing or area-wide wages for every trade and position
• That to the greatest extent possible, contracts and suppliers be minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) and Brooklyn business enterprises
• That employers have a track record of successfully performing services, paying livable wages and complying with all laws, including health and safety, wage and hour, environmental, and anti-discrimination laws
• That all building service workers be paid prevailing wage and supplement rates
• That livable wages be paid for non-union eligible jobs
• And that developers be encouraged to provide space for small local entrepreneurs and businesses

Bottom line, if you live in Coney, you should benefit from its rebirth. We will be asking local Coney residents to “play host” to the world, and I want to be sure they can afford to enjoy Coney as well. I’m asking that we show appreciation to Coney families by providing local resident discounts for amusements to residents of zip code 11224. These would be modeled on discounts provided to residents of Richmond, Virginia, who visit King’s Dominion, those in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, who get discounts for local attractions, and Southern Californians who get discounts for Disneyland, Legoland, and other attractions. I also ask that we show appreciation for the businesses that have been loyal to Coney—notably, Deno’s Wonder Wheel and Gargiulo’s Restaurant—by working with them on specific zoning requests.

Anyone who knows me knows that affordable housing is near and dear to my heart. That is why I ask that the City increase affordable housing in the Coney West or Coney North districts from 20 percent to 35 percent of total units through the disposition of City properties. Coney Island is indeed a neighborhood with many needs, therefore I have asked that the City advance design and construction to bring a desperately-needed gymnasium to PS 188 for use by residents on the western end of Coney Island. I have asked that the Abe Stark ice rink continue in operation until a replacement rink has been constructed at an alternative location. And I have also recommended that to combat the lack of supermarkets in the area, the City require in RFPs that the developer of one of the City-owned properties in either Coney West or Coney North provide a supermarket for residents.

In conclusion, Coney Island must retain that special ambiance and “class” (it can charm your socks off or be “in your face”). I am also asking, by the way, that the City look into the feasibility of bringing Brooklyn’s Eiffel Tower—the landmarked Parachute Jump—back to life as a thrill ride. What better symbol of rebirth could there be than to have this icon updated with the latest technology? In Coney, it’s all possible.