Astroland negotiations stall

A day after the unexpected news that Coney Island’s Astroland would survive until next summer, negotiations for an extension appear to have bogged down over rezoning concessions the site’s developer is seeking from the city, a Brooklyn councilman said Thursday.

The developer, Thor Equities, was reportedly planning to give the storied amusement park a reprieve until 2008, but Astroland’s owner said she has not been offered the lease extension that Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr. (D-Brooklyn) has been working to broker.

“Of course, if Thor Equities wishes to provide a lease, under reasonable terms, Astroland would be very interested in negotiating an agreement,” Astroland owner Carol Albert said yesterday in a prepared statement.

At Recchia’s urging, Thor seemed willing to give the 45-year-old Astroland one more season at its current location, the councilman said. However, by Thursday afternoon, the prospects of a deal suffered a blow when Thor president Joseph Sitt told Astroland officials that “they would extend the lease only if they get the rezoning that they want,” according to Recchia.

Lee Silberstein, Thor’s spokesman, declined to comment on details of the negotiations, saying only: “Thor is confident it will be able to reach an agreement with Astroland to keep the rides open next summer.”

Thor, which purchased the land where Astroland sits, plans to give the historic beachfront property a glitzy makeover by building a new amusement park, water theme park, hotels, time-share units, restaurants and retail stores on the 10 acres it owns between West 10th and West 15th streets. The project could be completed as early as 2011.

Despite dropping the controversial luxury condos from its wish list this week, the developer still needs the city to recommend zoning changes to pave the way, for example, for hotels, time-share units and expanded retail, which city officials also have blasted.

Meanwhile, Albert, who retained the business and its rides, is still in talks with the city to relocate Astroland to a new permanent home in Coney Island.

By Ryan Chatelain

amNY