The local lovefest over Coney Island’s new Luna Park is over.
A new turf fight is heating up along the fabled boardwalk – and this time the park’s operator, renowned Italian amusement designer Zamperla, has replaced controversial developer Joe Sitt as Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of many longtime boardwalk business owners.
Zamperla’s New Jersey subsidiary, Central Amusement International, delivered 11 popular boardwalk mainstays – including “Shoot the Freak,” Lola Staar Boutique, Ruby’s Bar and Cha Cha’s club – letters last week telling them to document evidence that justifies having their leases renewed for next summer, or risk being booted.
Each was told to submit business models by Aug. 31 outlining potential upgrades and marketing plans to make their businesses “successful.” Zamperla would then decide whom to bring back. Those missing the tight deadline “will be considered … not interested” in returning next summer, the letter states.
The request has the business owners peeved – many of whom only months earlier hailed Luna Park for helping bring large crowds back to the boardwalk and filling the huge hole left by Sitt’s 2008 closing of Astroland Park.
“Who’s Zamperla to tell us how to be successful?” said Anthony Berlingieri, owner of the Shoot the Freak game and trendy Beer Garden on the boardwalk.
“We were the one’s here keeping Coney Island alive after everyone left it for dead, and, trust me, we’re not going without a fight!”
The city last year bought the Astroland site, the boardwalk business space and an adjacent Stillwell Avenue lot from Sitt — who regularly flirted with shutting the businesses down — after the developer lost a power struggle with the city over his failed bid to build a Vegas-glitz entertainment center there. The Bloomberg administration then handed Zamperla’s CAI a 10-year lease to the 6.2 acres of prime land, and CAI used half of it to open the 19-ride Luna Park in May.
Zamperla next summer plans to open a “Scream Zone” at the Stillwell Avenue lot that includes two roller coasters and two other rides geared for teens.
Tom Corsillo, a Zamperla spokesman, said CAI “isn’t intending to clear house” next summer.
“They’ll be a boardwalk business presence,” said Corsillo, although he declined to say how big it would be.
But Dianna Carlin, owner of Lola Staar Boutique, said she, too, is “concerned” that Zamperla is trying to squeeze businesses out, partly to bring in its own concessions and clear space for a boardwalk entrance to the Scream Zone.
At Ruby’s Bar, which opened in 1934, bartender Willie Hinds said “everyone’s heartbroken” over the latest threat of being shut down.
“We’ve been here over 60 years, and everyone’s local, not just tourists. We’re what the real Coney Island is all about,” said Hinds, who has worked there for 31 years.