A $1 billion plan to rebuild the Coney Island boardwalk is in the works.
The 2.4-mile stretch of Coney Island’s boardwalk welcomes visitors year-round – but with new plans for a total reconstruction, the existing mix of concrete, wood and recycled plastic lumber may see even more footsteps.
“It should be a good idea to invest and rebuild for the people,” said one resident named Mila. “We use it all the time.”
The wear and tear of the iconic boardwalk – which is more than 100 years old — is impossible to ignore.
Residents say they’re just happy to see it getting the attention it deserves.
“My neighbor– she fell down a couple of months ago,” said Mila.
The reconstruction also includes access points and improvements to the adjacent Parks Department buildings and structures.
The money comes from Mayor Eric Adams’ $93 billion Capital Commitment Plan announced back in September.
Council Member Justin Brannan represents the area. He wrote in a statement to News 12, "When it comes to the mighty Riegelmann Boardwalk, the era of broken promises, hand-wringing and wishing upon false stars is over. There is still a long way to go and much community input is needed. The most important piece—the funding—is fully in place. I’m grateful to Mayor Adams for his partnership—we’ve put in the work to make this moment possible. This is the transformative project Coney Island deserves."
Even in these early stages, questions are still being raised.
“What would they have to do to replace that?” questioned Orlando Garcia. “In the meantime, what do people do then? Where do they walk? If they could do it in sections, that would be nice.”
Designs and engineering have yet to be completed.
There still needs to be a final choice for what the new boardwalk material would be.
The NYC Parks Department is expected to lay out the full plan at the end of this week.
