Castimatidis’ Coney boardwalk proposal calls for three towers

Red Apple Real Estate submitted a new proposal for developing 500,000 square feet of mixed-use space at the west end of the Coney Island boardwalk, according to the Architect’s Newspaper. The plan, which was slated to go before Community Board 13 today, calls for three residential towers ranging from 14 to 22 stories with a total of 400 market-rate condos above 25,000 square feet of retail and 400 parking spaces. Red Apple, led by John Catsimatidis of Gristedes supermarket fame, commissioned Dattner Architects as the lead designer for the project — but not before the city agrees to rezone the western edge of the boardwalk for the second time since 2005. The owners at the time, Ocean Dreams LLC, got the city to agree to a building height limit of 70 feet and a floor area ratio limit of 3.0, far more condense than the 40-foot limit and 1.25-FAR initially permitted. Now, Red Apple wants the tallest tower, with an enclosed garage, to rise 142 feet. “Subsidized housing surrounds the site, that’s why we think this kind of density and bulk is appropriate,” said William Stein, a lead architect on the project for Dattner. “A lot of nearby buildings are towers in the park, so we’re trying to create an urban presence.” [ArchPaper]

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter