New renderings have been revealed for The Coney, a massive casino, hotel, and entertainment complex proposed for Coney Island, Brooklyn. From developers Saratoga Casino Holdings, Global Gaming Solutions, Legends, and Thor Equities, the project is the latest in the slew of New York City casino proposals vying for the coveted downstate gaming license. If realized, it would also bring a 32-story, 500-room hotel tower, a 2,500-seat concert venue, 90,000 square feet of meeting and event space, retail and dining establishments, and a public green space to the proverbial People’s Playground.
The Coney’s development plot is bound by Surf Avenue to the north, Jones Walk and the iconic Wonder Wheel to the east, and West 15th Street to the west. Multiple thoroughfares, including West 12th Street, Bowery Street, and Stillwell Avenue/Ruby Jacobs Walk would traverse the property beneath skybridges.
The below dusk and nighttime renderings show Ruby Jacobs Walk, as noted by the presence of the original the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs location and the pinwheel sculpture from the entrance to Luna Park. Floor-to-ceiling windows would clad the lower levels around new tree-lined sidewalks. Above, the buildings’ façades are shown enclosed in a diamond-patterned screen illuminated with colorful lights. A welcome sign adorns one of the skybridges and new amusement rides and landscaped terraces sit atop the buildings’ roofs.
Below is a view looking east at the Wonder Wheel and Cyclone roller coaster in the background, likely situating the point of view by the end of West 12th Street.
The following aerial perspective shows The Coney’s location in relation to the adjacent boardwalk and beach. The hotel tower’s massing is composed of multiple rounded rectangular volumes of various heights, and its glass curtain wall features a prismatic design with triangular panels, complementing the diagrid structure of the casino buildings below. The pinnacle of the tower is enclosed in a colorful mosaic reminiscent of stained glass.
Visitors would have panoramic vistas of the entire Coney Island beach, Luna Park, and the Atlantic Ocean from the outdoor terrace space atop the podium. Views from the hotel rooms would be even more expansive.
The below rendering depicts The Coney from the elevated Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway terminal, which is served by the D, F, N and Q trains. The hotel tower and property signage would dominate the view from the platforms.
The master plan must first be reviewed by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, followed by further public input from local residents and a study of the neighborhood impact before becoming an eligible candidate for the gaming license. The latter decision, while accounting for the other proposed casino sites in New York City, is expected to occur sometime next year.
The Coney is anticipated to create nearly 4,000 jobs, and the developers plan to establish an on-site resource center to combat gaming addiction and enforce proper staff training to ensure a “welcoming, fun, and responsible environment for all” visitors.
“For two years we have been speaking with the residents of Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn about the need for a project that creates careers, supports local businesses, and centers entertainment around the idea of a playground that is truly accessible to the people,” said Sam Gerrity, CEO of Saratoga Casino Holdings, in a statement. “We have heard time and time again that Coney Island needs a project that provides year-round economic support while also lifting up the infrastructure in one of the most densely traveled areas of the community.”
“The Coney will be a world-class destination with activities for locals and tourists alike,” said Dan Boren, board chairman for Global Gaming Solutions and secretary of commerce for the Chickasaw Nation. “We have worked closely with the community and local business owners to put together a proposal that is designed to create thousands of good paying jobs and lift the entire local economy, benefitting Coney Island and all of Brooklyn.”
A handful of low-rise food and retail structures currently line Surf Avenue and several park attractions cover the general development area. All or most of these will likely require demolition should The Coney win approval for construction. An architect has yet to be revealed for the project.
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