Coney Island

While Luna Park has been a Coney Island hit, attracting nearly half a million visitors in its first season, locals say that much of the planned Coney Island revamping is unwelcome — and even hazardous to local businesses, according to Crain’s. Local advocacy groups say they’re happy to see more economic activity in the area, but are concerned about the influx of chain eateries and stores that could soon populate the area. Juan Rivero, an activist with neighborhood preservation group Save Coney Island, said he hopes that preservation could be incorporated into area renovation plans. “Coney Island has tremendous potential to become an economic engine and tourist destination,” Rivero said. [more]

A 107-year-old former public school in Harlem has spawned a storm of controversy, according to the New York Times, with the building’s owner angling to demolish the dilapidated structure. P.S. 186 closed on West 145th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in 1975, but was bought 11 years later by the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem for $215,000. But while the non-profit had planned to use the building as a community facility, no work was done on the property. Now, the organization says the only plan that makes fiscal sense is to demolish the erstwhile school and develop a new community center. Preservationists, however, are none too pleased. Christa Giesecke, an architect and Community Board 9 member, is among many who plan to fight for the building’s survival. “I think we will revisit the whole landmarking issue,” Giesecke said. [NYT]

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The models, from left: the Park Slope coffee shop, Nick’s Luncheonette, Vesuvio Bakery (credit: Randy Hage)

While the face of New
York City might be changing, one small-scale artist is hoping to
preserve its memory through models of erstwhile retail spots, according
to the Vanishing New York blog. Randy Hage, a scale model maker for film
and television, said that he has been photographing storefronts in New
York City since the late 1990s, tracking how the facades have changed
over the years. Using those images, Hage created a handful of models —
scaled to 1/12 of the buildings’ original sizes. Among the completed
models is a coffee shop in Park Slope, Nick’s Luncheonette in
Williamsburg and Vesuvio Bakery in Soho. Hage said that he plans to
create more of the models, and that he has “a mental queue of about 30
projects” that he’s considering at the moment. [Vanishing New York]

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Preservationists and property owners are fighting over Wardenclyffe, a site in Shoreham, N.Y., that includes an early wireless tower and laboratory used by inventor Nikola Tesla. The tower, constructed in the first few years of the 20th century, was part of a system intended to relay electricity, news, stock reports and pictures through the air. A science group wants to turn the Long Island property into a museum and education center, but the owner, Agfa Corporation, wants to sell the property to raise money. The land is listed for $1.6 million, and the real estate broker has proposed to clear the land.

From the April issue: As the city’s housing prices fall, credit
dries up and affordable housing goals are threatened, new Housing
Preservation and Development Commissioner Rafael Cestero has a lot on
his plate. Cestero took office in the middle of last month after his
predecessor, Shaun Donovan, headed to Washington, D.C., to become
President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Donovan had been commissioner since 2004, and Cestero was his deputy
between 2004 and 2007. As deputy commissioner, Cestero helped develop
the city’s $7.5 billion New Housing Marketplace Plan, the mayor’s
10-year initiative to create 165,000 units of affordable housing. He
also played a role in establishing the NYC Acquisition Fund, which
helps developers create affordable housing through faster access to
equity. Real estate pros say Cestero has a lot to do, including
reviewing old policies that might help the real estate community, and
furthering the mayor’s affordable housing plan on a smaller budget. [more]