Get ready to be waterlogged!
The People’s Playground is set to get a host of new attractions, including a new log-flume water ride, a zip-line adventure park, and a public plaza with eateries and arcade games.
The new attractions will help boost the Coney Island economy and add momentum to the city’s investments in affordable housing in neighborhood, according to the head of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which launched the initiative together with the Department of Parks and Recreation.
“Coney Island is both a cherished summertime destination and an important economic engine for Southern Brooklyn,” said James Patchett. “With these exciting new attractions, and our ongoing investments in housing and infrastructure, Coney Island’s future has never looked brighter.”
The New Jersey-based amusement park developer-operator Central Amusement International will build the water ride on the empty lot in between the Thunderbolt roller coaster and MCU Park, while the zip-line park will take over a stretch of what is now W. 15th Street between the coaster and the Coney Island Raceway.
Boardwalkers will also be able to rest in the shade and enjoy some choice games and grub at a new pedestrian-only public plaza at the end of Ruby Jacobs Walk, which will feature an open-air food court and an entertainment area with an arcade and other games, according to the city. The last 300 feet of W. 12th Street will also be converted to a pedestrian plaza, with greenery and seating.
In 2017, the Economic Development Corporation and the Parks Department requested proposals to develop city property the size of more than two and a half football fields spread across five parcels of land between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk, between W. 10th and W. 16th streets.
If all goes as planned, the zip-line attraction should be ready to open next summer, and the log flume is scheduled to open a year later, according to the city.
Council recently designated the 95-year-old Riegelmann Boardwalk as a scenic landmark, and the local councilman said that the new attractions abutting the wooden walkway will help reinvigorate the area’s storied past and stimulate future development of the amusement district.
“Recapturing the best of Coney Island’s past is a big part of the future at the People’s Playground,” said councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island). “This continues the revitalization of the amusement district, offering exciting new activities and attractions for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.”
