Community Board 13 Must Reject the Coney Casino!

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Surf Avenue at West 12th Street.

Don’t believe the dramatic renderings and gleeful promises presented by the Coney Casino developers. What they’re actually planning is the destruction of Coney Island as a beachfront amusement park destination. The massive Coney casino project is a disaster that’s way out of scale and designed to smother and kill all surrounding businesses in the amusement zone. It will destroy the fabric of the surrounding community. But the developers don’t care. They’re building a fortress of greed.

There will be a Community Board public hearing regarding the casino on Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7 PM. The meeting will be held at the Coney Island YMCA, 2980 West 29th Street at Surf Avenue. Public comment is encouraged, in person or remotely. The meeting is in response to the casino’s application to build a “1.3 million-square-foot” gaming facility in the heart of the Coney Island community. This will be the first of many public hearings to be held before three gambling sites in and around New York City are chosen in late 2025.

The developer’s request to take over and de-map several local streets is nothing more than a greedy land grab by Thor Equities that would allow it to build a monolithic fortress, a three-block-long solid wall that will surround the amusement zone, reducing access to the beach, Boardwalk, and amusements. The project includes a 402.5-foot tall, 40-story “hotel “ on Surf Avenue that will cast a shadow over the entire neighborhood. It will create a traffic nightmare that will affect the lives of all who visit or live in the community. Emergency responders will be delayed when the streets surrounding the casino are closed and they can’t reach the beach and Boardwalk in time to save lives.

The casino plan is reminiscent of the crack epidemic of the 90s: some people made a lot of money, but it didn’t end well. Casino gambling will bring addiction, poverty, bankruptcy, domestic abuse, and mental illness. It will destroy the outdoor amusement industry. It does not belong in this community.

The political ramifications of this destructive, ill-conceived casino have become clear. Two former NYC councilmembers have already been bought and paid for by the casino developers and hired as “consultants.” A respected former journalist is now a public relations flack for the casino. Money is being spread around to buy support. If approved, a project of this size would have political clout that would in no way benefit or represent the welfare of the community.

The NYC Economic Development Corporation planted a poison pill when they rezoned Coney Island in 2009. They left the door open for a predatory speculator like Thor Equities to buy up and destroy a majority of the amusement zone. Since buying up multiple Coney Island properties more than fifteen years ago Thor has raised rents, demolished historic buildings, and allowed most of his properties to deteriorate into terrible eyesores. The casino developers have shown an unwillingness and inability to work with local businesses. The Coney Island History Project is asking the members of Community Board 13 to vote against the Coney casino.

-Charles Denson, Executive Director, Coney Island History Project

If you would like the opportunity to speak for 2 minutes, whether as a member of the community or Community Board 13 member, you MUST sign up in advance by emailing hglikman@cb.nyc.gov.

You can attend via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82717437304?pwd=YfEWyaUUJgy2HE8NFrYI64jbyuEZrb.1

Dial-In:+1 646 931 3860

Meeting ID: 827 1743 7304

Passcode: 123456

Developer's rendering of the massive casino proposed for Coney Island.