Along with the Cyclone, the iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island is one of the most recognizable features of the amusement-themed beach area. However, after it was temporarily stalled during the Bloomberg administration, a plan to convert parts of the wooden boardwalk to concrete is moving forward and some local lawmakers are very unhappy with it.
City Councilmen Chaim Deutsch and Mark Treyger released a joint statement expressing their disappointment with the plan, and along with community activists, they’ve launched a petition on change.org that asks the city to cease any further construction.
Supporters of the concrete conversion say that it’s cheaper and more sustainable, while critics argue that wooden sections of the boardwalk survived the damage from Hurricane Sandy better than concrete section.
According to the Daily News:
Deutsch and Treyger asked the city Landmarks Preservation Commission to name the 91-year-old boardwalk a historic site, a designation that would bar such dramatic changes.
But unless they receive an expedited process, that petition is expected to take a year to review. The conversion to concrete is expected to finished before the 2016 beach season.
(Photo: Ed Yourdon)
