Coney Islanders clashed at the first public hearing of the Coney’s Community Advisory Committee on 26 August. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
By Kirstyn Brendlen, Brooklyn Paper
At 10.00 am on Tuesday, when the first public hearing of the proposed Coney Island Casin’s Community Advisory Committee would start, dozens of locals were still set up on the sidewalk, waiting to come in.
Some shouted out of protest because they were told that not everyone could speak or even enter the packaged multifunctional room in the YMCA of Coney Island. By the time the meeting started just before 10.30 am, almost 90 people had registered to speak.
About 54 of those speakers, almost two -thirds of the total, testified against the casino.
The team behind The cone His fish to build a facility of 1.6 million square foot with a casino, hotel, shops, restaurants and more. They offer one of the three new casino licenses of the location of the state’s gaming facility. To be considered by the board, De Coney must first win the majority of the six -member Community Advisory Committee.
The Community Advisory Committee
The committee consists of six members appointed by various state and urban-chosen officials: Portia Henry, State Senior Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Marissa Solomon, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Alex Sommer, and councilor Justin Brannan, the chairman of the committee.
The group must keep a voice about whether or not to approve the CONEY application before September 30. Four or more members of the committee must vote yes to continue the application to the location board of the gaming facility. Tuesday’s meeting was the first of two public hearings that the Community Advisory Committee will organize while it delegates.
Developers say that the casino would offer economic opportunities and thousands of jobs all year round to Coney Island, which has been struggling outside the summer season for a long time.
De Coney has also promised to create $ 200 million Community Trust And advocate to bring more Express metro trains, buses and long-discussed ferry service to the playground of the people.
‘A one -off opportunity’ ‘
Many of the 32 people who expressed their support for the casino during Tuesday’s hearing said that the community desperately needs new jobs.
“The Coney Casino is a one-in-one-generation opportunity to reduce the People’s Playground Aamusement District to its former glory as a destination throughout the year, while at the same time rejuvenated the nearby chance of the nearby communities,” said Ron Greenberg, president of the 60th Precinct Community Council.
Coney Island suffered from “decades” of neglect and disinvestment, he said, and has long struggled with violence and low employment.
“The Coney Casino will create sustainable economic, social and cultural improvements of its thousands of vacancies to its infrastructure improvements, increased transit services and the possibility of ferry and Jitney services,” he said.
Bob Ferazi, founder of the local youth development Non -Profit Thompson Drive, said that the teenagers he works with, Coney Island see as a dead end.
“You know what the most important goal is of many of the children who live here today? To graduate high school and to get Hell from Coney Island forever,” he said. “Don’t come back, not even a retrospective.”
He sees the casino – and the local investments it promised – as a way to offer safety and community to local children.
Paula Jenkins, chairman of the tenants’ association at the nearby houses in Marlboro, said she believes that the coney will deliver on their promises.
“The Coney Island project promised jobs. I hope they follow the jobs because I support you all,” she told developers who were sitting next to CAC members at the front of the room. “I want you to be with us. We are with you, as long as you are with us.”
But some said that De Coney had explained too much from the number of permanent jobs that it could offer residents of Coney Island.
Developers said that the project would generate 4,000 temporary construction courses and 4,500 permanent jobs that they say that 25 percent would go to the residents of Coney Island. On Tuesday they said that the portal of the application would be 90 days exclusively for the residents of Coney Island.
Others said they believed that only a few hundred permanent jobs would go to the inhabitants of Coney Island, and doubted whether many would benefit from temporary building tracks. Various members of local construction associations testified in favor of the project, although it was unclear how much living on Coney Island.
‘About 30 years late’
Many old Coney island residents said that the promises of the Ceary are too little, too late -and specifically targeted local developer Thor shares, owned by Joe Sitt, who leads the proposal.
“It seems that this project is about 30 years late. When Thor buyed real estate when I was a child in the late ’70s, early 80s … That was the time to build something,” said a speaker, Michael. “Now that the area is coming back after, yes, a few years, you want to take those companies with them, take those stores that are finally here … and fix them and ruin their companies.”
Joseph Bonsignore, whose family de bobsled ride For decades for decades – said that changing the historic entertainment district would be ‘a shame’.
“I’m against the casino,” he said. “I am against destroying what the playground in the world was and the greatest tourist attraction is probably in the United States that are known all over the world.”
Jenkins said, however, that the Nab is too quiet in the winter when cold weather closes the beach and amusement parks.
“When Coney Island closes, there is nothing left,” she said. “It is a ghost city. And I like to do things, so I would like the Cuey Island casino to be in place.”
Barbara McFadden, chairman of the tenants’ association for Sheepshead Bay/Nostrand-Huizen, it was once and said that the promised community confidence of Cuey could finance for a long time, such as expensive Boardwalk improvements.
“If we vote, will Luna Park repair the Promenade?” she said. “Will the mermaid parade donate all its yields to repair the promenade?”
Many of the artists and artists of Coney Island said they fear that the casino would permanently change the famous entertainment landscape of Nab and make the playground of the people inaccessible for those who currently live and work there.
“Traffic, crime and addiction is what this casino will bring, not family -friendly pleasure,” said Adam Rinn, artistic director of Coney Island USA. “Lies are what we are nourished, no funnel cakes and cotton candy. Great is what this is about, not a real neighborhood support.”
CONEY Islanders divided over Casino
The hearing exposed deep gorges in the community that came to the fore when the Nabret debated the casino.
Participants shouted repeatedly over each other in disagreement, singing in favor or against the Casino and Hackling speakers.
Maxim Ibadov, member of Brooklyn Community Board 13 – Die overwhelming against one re -use Earlier this year tied to the casino – accused the Ceany of performing “incredible shenanigans and marketing tricks to create the illusion of the community [support]. “
Some those present said that pro-Casino speakers from the Hotel And Gaming Trades Council used in advance written Boilerplate scripts.
Marie Mirville-Shahzada, founder of Non-Profit Alfadila Community Services, has long supported the Ceany.
“My support came at personal costs,” she said. “My children, my companies, my non -profit organization and even my faith were verbally attacked. I have been to defamation on social mediaBoycot and blacklisted by those who resist. ‘
Another participant, who asked for not to be mentioned, said that during Tuesday’s hearing she was threatened by a supporter of the Ceany.
“I was sitting here and someone said,” I’m going to turn the shit out of you, “she said.” They said it twice, they called me a red, and then they left. This is the kind of violence that brings this. “
What is the following?
The CAC will organize another meeting with a date still to be announced Somewhere in the coming weeks.
Brannan, the CAC chairman, noted that the next hearing will be held in the evening, “so that working people can actually be present”, as the hearing of 26 August took place in the middle of the day.
After that hearing, the CAC has until 30 September to take a voice. As two-thirds of the CAC mood in favor of the CONEY, the application will be moved to be taken into consideration by the complete consideration Gaming Facility Location BoardWho will announce the winners of the new Casino Licencies by the end of the year.
Note from the editors: a version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn paper. Click here To see the original story.
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