102-Year-Old Coney Island Boardwalk To Undergo A Massive $1 Billion Transformation

New York City’s favorite summertime playground, home to the iconic Cyclone and Wonder Wheel, world-famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs, and the New York Aquarium, is about to get a transformative upgrade. The Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget has officially set aside $1 billion to give the Coney Island Boardwalk the most ambitious renovation in its 102-year history. Stretching nearly three miles, the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk will undergo a full reconstruction that includes new ramps and plazas to improve access, along with renovations to more than a dozen adjacent buildings that house lifeguard stations and public restrooms. In partnership with the Economic Development Corporation, the Parks Department will also replace aging utilities and structural piles while elevating parts of the walkway to make it more resilient for the future. Parks program director Grace Tang noted at a Brooklyn Community Board 13 meeting on December 8th that the massive overhaul gives the agency an opportunity to “look at the whole 2.5 miles together as one piece,” emphasizing just how comprehensive the redesign will be. This sweeping rebuild is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ bold new vision for Coney Island, first unveiled earlier this year. Beyond the boardwalk improvements, the larger plan includes 1,500 new mixed-income homes and a $42 million renovation of the Abe Stark Sports Center –investments aimed at revitalizing the entire neighborhood. For years, the boardwalk’s deterioration has been impossible to ignore: cracked support beams, rotting wood, uneven planks, loose screws, and gaping holes have made repairs increasingly urgent. The renovation won’t happen overnight, though. To ensure the beach remains open, the renovation will unfold in phases over several years, and because design work hasn’t begun, construction is still a long way off. The EDC expects to release a request for proposals early next year, while Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Marty Maher anticipates community input sessions to begin in about two years. In the meantime, NYC Parks is continuing work on one of the boardwalk’s most damaged stretches –three blocks between West 24th and West 27th streets–which Maher described as “likely the worst” section. Source: https://secretnyc.co/coney-island-boardwalk-billion-dollar-transformation/