Treyger Responds to Boardwalk Landmark Resolution

The City Council unanimously adopted a resolution introduced by Council Member Mark Treyger (47th Council District), and co-sponsored by Council Member Chaim Deutsch (48th Council District), 48 other members of the Council, and Public Advocate Letitia James, calling on the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk a scenic landmark.

The resolution, originally introduced to the City Council on February 5th, has also garnered the backing of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y. 8th Congressional District), City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, Senator Diane J. Savino (23rd Senate District), and Assemblymember Pamela Harris (46th Assembly District), as well as community leaders from the Coney Island area. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has also voiced support for the resolution.

With the City Council and many significant elected officials at the city and state level behind the resolution, further pressure is placed on the Landmarks Preservation Commission to act in favor of an application for the designation originally filed by Council Member Treyger and Coney Island historian Charles Denson in December 2014.

A scenic landmark designation would officially recognize the Boardwalk as one of Southern Brooklyn’s historic locations, while providing a layer of protection and an opportunity for residents to weigh in on the future of the Boardwalk. Currently, the City needs no approval to make changes to the Boardwalk, and sections of the Boardwalk have already been replaced with concrete, drastically altering its character.

Council Member Treyger led members of the community in utilizing the hashtag #LandmarkTheBoardwalk on social media and invited supporters of the resolution to testify at a May 4th City Council Land Use Committee hearing. Several dozen people showed up to testify in several different languages. The resolution passed a vote in the Land Use Committee last week.

Since it opened in 1923, the Boardwalk has become one of New York’s most iconic destinations. It is recognized as a well-known tourist attraction and the centerpiece of a peninsula which includes the Coney Island amusement district, and the culturally diverse commercial and residential areas of Coney Island and Brighton Beach.

“The iconic Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk is not just a symbol of Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn, but one synonymous with New York City,” said Council Member Mark Treyger. “Millions have walked the Boardwalk’s wooden planks for nearly a century, forging the legend of one of our city’s best-known cultural touchstones. I believe we must preserve this legend, this symbol so that our children, their children, and millions of others who visit our great city in the years ahead will be able to walk those same wooden planks and create their own memories, as well. With the support of my colleagues in the City Council, the Speaker, the Public Advocate, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Borough President Eric L. Adams, all of the elected officials who represent Coney Island, and so many residents and community leaders, there is no reason to delay this process any longer.

“Thank you to my colleagues for their widespread support to officially designate this beloved local treasure with the landmark status so many New Yorkers have already unofficially bestowed upon it. It is our responsibility to ensure that the landmarking process is equitable with regard to all parts of the city. Southern Brooklyn has a rich history of culture and tradition, too, and few places epitomize that history better than the Coney Island Boardwalk. To preserve the Boardwalk means preserving the history of our community and guaranteeing the future of a structure that this community can continue to treasure for generations to come.”

“The unanimous support that this resolution received from all of my colleagues in the City Council is a testament to the significance of the Boardwalk for all of New York City,” said Council Member Chaim Deutsch. “The Reigelmann Boardwalk has been one of the most recognizable features in all of Brooklyn and New York City since it’s opening in 1923. I am hopeful that the passage of this resolution will lead to a positive decision from the Landmarks Commission, and our Boardwalk will be designated as the landmark that we all know it to be! I congratulate Councilman Mark Treyger on this success, and thank all of my colleagues for their support.”

“I thank Council Members Deutsch and Treyger for their tireless commitment to the preservation of Brooklyn’s beloved Riegelmann Boardwalk,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “The City Council has sent a loud and undeniable statement of support for the landmarking of this iconic structure, and it is time overdue that the Landmarks Preservation Commission does its duty and makes the desired designation a reality.”

“The Coney Island Boardwalk is a well-known and beloved a location in Southern Brooklyn and New York City, and I applaud Council Member Mark Treyger and elected officials who have expressed support for this resolution for their efforts to safeguard this historic structure so constituents can continue to enjoy it for years to come,” Senator Diane J. Savino said.

“The Riegelmann Boardwalk is symbolic of Coney Island’s history as a destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike. For a Coney Island native like me, the Boardwalk means summer strolls with friends and family, and it conjures up similar warm memories for so many others,” said Assembly Member Pamela Harris. “We must preserve the Boardwalk so that it remains an attraction for local residents and visitors from across the globe.”

“The Riegelmann Boardwalk is an indelible part of New York City’s history and of the Coney Island community,” said Congressman Hakeem Jeffries on February 5. “Those classic wooden planks have witnessed New York legends ranging from Fiorello La Guardia and John Lindsay to David Dinkins – as well as millions from around the world who came to visit the greatest city in the world. Replacing them now would be akin to knocking down the Empire State or Chrysler Building. We cannot allow this treasured part of New York to be wiped away. Council Member Treyger and all involved should be commended for their leadership in this effort.”

“The Coney Island Boardwalk is a living piece of history that deserves landmark designation,” City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said when the resolution was originally introduced. “I applaud Councilmember Mark Treyger for leading this effort to ensure that the boardwalk is sustainable for future generations. The Landmarks Preservation Committee should act now to preserve the local culture of Coney Island and Brighton Beach by landmarking the Riegelmann Boardwalk.”