Councilman Wants Landmark Status For Boardwalk
@The Coney Island Blog
Local Councilman Mark Treyger wants the famed Riegelmann Boardwalk to be designated a landmark. Currently the plan is to convert the boardwalk into a sidewalk mixed with plastic and cement. Treyger believes designating the boardwalk into an historic area will help prevent the boardwalk from becoming a sidewalk.
The Coney Island Blog agrees with the councilman that the famed boardwalk should be granted landmark status. This synthetic wood which has appeared in spots along Brighton has already been a challenge for the elderly. Many local seniors have told us that the tropical hardwood with it’s flexibility is easy on their feet. Replacing the wood with cement will make it difficult for them to get around. We’ve also noticed numerous cracks in the cement. Boardwalk business owners fear that the cement will cause sand to pile up and flooding as it already does in certain areas of the boardwalk.
@ City Councilman Mark Treyger
According to the Daily News park officials contend that the substitute material is sturdier and much cheaper. It costs about $90 per square-foot, compared to approximately $130 for real wood.
Should the boardwalk be replaced with cement because it is cost effective?
What do our readers think?
Take our poll.
In early 2012…I contacted the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission with a request to have them consider the Coney Island (Reigelmann) Boardwalk,” a landmark.
In October 2012 I was advised that, “the property was significantly altered in 1939-40 from its original configuration. At this time it will not be recommended to the full commission for further consideration as a New York City landmark.” Given this fact, two NYC landmarks should be deemed un-landmark worthy. Coney Island’s Parachute Jump:(1989) “It was built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, and moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park.” And, The Rainbow Room: “the restaurant was closed for nearly two years beginning in 1985 as it underwent a $25 million restoration and expansion” In 2012, it was declared a New York City landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission” This past October 20th, I re-applied to have the boardwalk considered for landmark status, by the Commission. On October 22nd, Ms. Mary Beth Betts of the Commission advised me that… “Staff will review the material and keep me informed of the process.”
Do you see those puddles on the “boardwalk” to the left of Harry in this feature image? Yes, puddles! Get used to them!
Obviously the puddles are on the concrete section of the promenade and not the actual boardwalk. Wonderful, the Alliance for Coney Island will be governing 2.5 miles of concrete slab. This is just another nail in the coffin. My beloved Coney Island will soon be Anywhere USA.
The boardwalk IS Coney Island. The backbone of its lifeline. The personality of its beauty. The memory of its mind’s eye. I assumed it already was a landmark ages ago. Parachute, wonderwheel, wooden roller coaster, wooden boardwalk. It’s a matched set of irreplaceable parts. You lost Luna, you lost Steeplechase, can you afford to loose what little is left? Why go then? There’s always utube.
i believe that if the city would have maintained the wood it would have been ok but like everything else times have changed the concrete seems to be holding up a lot better and looks a lot better than the wood,i also believe the heavy trucks should be kept off of the boardwalk and there should be rubber mats put down for our runners, so they also can enjoy the boardwalk this should be a main concern of our boardwalk. times have changes and we should look into the future.make this boardwalk a work of art make it so beautiful that everyone wants to walk and enjoy evry beautiful thing on it lets invest in our future.thank you.