A thatch of land in the northernmost part of Coney Island may soon be in the hands of a commercial developer.
On Friday, members of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) closed their Request for Proposals (RFP) process for two lots bordered by Coney Island Creek, Stillwell Avenue, Hart Place and West 15th Street.
Officials from EDC would not say just how many RFPs they received, nor did they comment on just how long the review process would take.
“It’s a confidential process, so we don’t disclose any of the particulars,” an EDC spokesperson said.
The 1.1-acre space that the city wishes to divest itself of is actually two spaces – an empty lot and a parking lot that is currently being leased by the city’s Department of Administrative Services for school buses.
“The main entrances of the lots are on West 15th Street,” the EDC spokesperson said.
The property is about three blocks north of the Stillwell Avenue train station, which puts it at the tip of the Coney Island Creek and right under the shadow of the Belt Parkway.
The RFP stipulates that whoever develops the land would build commercial space with accessible parking.
The city is envisioning office space for the site, “although retail will be entertained.”
The developer could also use their parking spaces for the Coney Island amusement area on weekends and other peak times.
The land falls just inside of the Coney Island Development Corporation’s (CIDC) strategic plan for Coney Island, a rezoning effort that “aims to strengthen the amusement core while creating new jobs and residential opportunities throughout the community,” according to the CIDC website.
Officials at Community Board 13 said that they didn’t know about the city’s RFP, but if the developer they chose wanted to build beyond the existing zoning it would have to get the board’s approval.
A call to City Councilmember Domenic Recchia for comment was not returned by press time.
