Dick Zigun Sounds Off On The City’s Controversial Eminent Domain Plan

Last Monday a public hearing was held to address the city’s recent decision to use it’s power of eminent domain on properties in Coney Island.

Today the Coney Island Blog interviewed Coney Island USA artistic director and founder Dick Zigun about Monday’s public hearing as well as his position on the city’s use of eminent domain.
Coney Island Blog: On Monday you spoke in favor of the city using the power of eminent domain in Coney Island. Can you briefly tell us what you said at the public hearing?
Dick Zigun: I spoke to remind people that Coney rezoning decisions were made six years ago and Bloomberg’s administration left money in city bank accounts to buy private property already re zoned for parkland and finish the job of realizing a well designed new amusement park. Both Mayor Bloomberg and Councilman Recchia are out of office yet new leftist elected representatives Mayor DeBlassio, Comptroller Springer and Councilman Recchia want to finish the job and give NYC resident a great permanent amusement park with a terrific Wonderwheel Way promenade connecting 3 landmarks (Cyclone/Wonderwheel/Parachute Jump) and a West End Park next to the Amphitheater under construction.
Coney Island Blog: There were 11 people who spoke at the public hearing. Only 3 opposed the plan. Does that surprise you?
Dick Zigun:Not really…if we keep pressure on the city to finish the plan and build everything they promised 5 years ago what’s emerging is a terrific successful CI for the 21st century! What’s bad about that!?! More people woulda praised it if they weren’t afraid of being attacked by haters … Of course the Murray Family which owns West 12th Street property and the Guerrero Family tenants have reason to protest…but the rezoning (which I had no part in planning) has already pushed around many landowners years ago…that’s a fact…right now if we’re gonna finish cooking the omelet there’s no way around breaking a few more eggs… I hope the Murray Family makes some serious money off the city!

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Coney Island Blog: Why do you think the city didn’t include obtaining the Shore Theater in its plans?
Dick Zigun: Not included in the 2009 rezoning thus no money put aside six years ago to acquire it.
Coney Island Blog: You support the expansion of the amusement district and many of the improvements in the area. Do you approve of the residential towers proposed west of MCU Park?
Dick Zigun: Not really…I think the amusement zone, once 66 acres, was robbed or mugged by the 2009 rezoning which shrinks then amusement/tourist zone to 27 acres…but like it or not the decision was made six years ago and the housing is coming … I’m just militantly dedicated to keeping track and getting us 100% of what we were promised!
Coney Island Blog: Summertime traffic and parking is always a problem in Coney Island. What do you think about these residential towers taking away valuable parking?
Dick Zigun: The rezoning is weakest regarding parking issues and has a flawed bad solution to replace the stadium parking lot with residential & tourist parking with parking garages within the center core of new high rise residential buildings…personally I don’t think it will work…I favor a municipal parking garage at Cropsey and Neptune Avenues….but I’m a phony Mayor and no one really listen to me…
Coney Island Blog: You said that the city needs to “finish the job.” What would “finishing the job” look like?
Dick Zigun: In 2017 the city will “finish the job” of a government stimulus project to revision Coney Island: the new Amphitheater and expanded Aquarium will open, Wonderwheel Way will go from the Cyclone to the Parachute Jump and Luna Park will add more rides filling in the weed gap between the Thunderbolt and B&B Carousell… EVERYTHING ELSE is up to capitalism: Hotels, renovating the Shore Theater, developing Thor’s property…private not city money has to take care of all that.

Coney Island Blog: There are still Coney Island residents, business owners, and stakeholders who believe that this plan is an “abuse of power” by the city. What would you say to them?
Dick Zigun: Like it or not the decision was already made six years ago so let’s make the best of it and finish the job! Imagine if Central Park had a few private buildings in the middle of the Sheep Meadow because someone objected to eminent domain in the 1860’s…just finish the job!

So what do our readers think about the city’s use of eminent domain?

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