City pushes forward with Coney Island boardwalk conversion

The city is moving forward with plans to convert Coney Island’s iconic boardwalk from wood to concrete, angering some locals.

Some officials had fought the plan to replace part of the iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk with concrete. But now the city has obtained state funding to resume the work, which kicked off during the Bloomberg administration, a Parks Department spokesman told the New York Daily News.

“We are extremely disappointed,” City Councilmen Chaim Deutsch and Mark Treyger said in a joint statement. The pair have started a petition calling on the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the boardwalk a scenic landmark.

Parks Department spokesperson Sam Biederman defended the construction, however, arguing the new material is sturdier and cheaper.

“This project strengthens and extends the life of the boardwalk with recycled plastic lumber and concrete,” Biederman said. “As a coastal city, it’s more important than ever for us to use resilient, sustainable materials.” [NYDN] – Christopher Cameron