Mayor Bill de Blasio must get his head out of the sand and turn Coney Island into the type of year-round destination local businesses and residents were promised a decade ago by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, lawmakers say.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Brooklyn Councilman Mark Treyger, who represents Coney Island, told The Post the de Blasio administration needs to do a better job protecting the seaside neighborhood’s mom-and-pop shops, including longtime boardwalk bastions facing closure over hefty rent hikes they can’t afford.
“Mayor de Blasio owes it to Coney Island and the rest of the city to say what his vision is here beyond just building more housing,” Treyger said.
“We have over 50,000 people who call Coney Island home, but they don’t have the benefit of a full neighborhood because the city controls a lot of land and has only chosen to activate it” during the warmer spring and summer months.
“Part of the problem why these businesses are in trouble is a lack of vision and lack of understanding over what the future holds for Coney Island,” added Treyger. “What’s the mayor’s vision for activating the [city-owned land] year-round? He won’t say.”
Under Bloomberg, Coney Island in 2009 underwent a massive rezoning aimed at spurring economic development, including setting aside 27 acres of the “People’s Playground” as an amusement and entertainment district.
A year later, he had the city purchase nearly seven acres of prime beachfront land for $95.6 million and turned control of it over to Zamperla, the Italian thrill-ride maker, under a long-term contract.
Besides opening Luna Park and other amusements, Zamperla was allowed to set and collect rents for beloved businesses it inherited, including t-shirt shop Lola Star and Ruby’s Bar & Grill. Six are now facing steep rent hikes when their leases expire Saturday – including a nearly five times increase for Lola Star.
Johnson said the Council “is extremely concerned” about the proposed increases because it wants “to keep Coney Island the special place it is.” He also said the de Blasio administration must “use its leverage and resources to solve this issue.”
“We want a long-term solution that keeps [the affected businesses] there because [they] are really the heart and soul of Coney Island…” Johnson said.
“We don’t want Coney Island to be a place that has a lot of high-end retail chain shops that don’t actually speak to the vibrant historic fabric of Coney Island.”
Although the boardwalk leases are up Saturday, Treyger confirmed he’s “cut a deal” with Zamperla giving the tenants a brief reprieve until the end of the year to negotiate a better lease agreement.
However, Dianna Carlin, owner of Lola Star, told The Post Thursday that both sides are still far apart on a rental agreement and that she’s refused a separate “demand” by Zamperla to take a cut of her profits and “audit [her] books.”
“I’ve built that business independently,” said Carlin, who opened the tiny, but popular shop in 2001. “Why should they suddenly be entitled to a percentage of my sales?”
Carlin and a coalition of sideshow “freaks,” burlesque queens and “mermaids” are planning a rally at City Hall on Monday to “Save the small-business soul of Coney Island.”
The same colorful group held a jaw-dropping, “No Condos in Coney” march on City Hall in 2007 featuring a 30-piece band that rivaled the annual Mermaid Parade.
The Mayor’s Office and Zamperla did not return messages seeking comment.
Reps for Bloomberg — who is running for president — declined comment.
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