Brooklynites have started getting mailers from an organization identifying itself as “The Future of Coney Island.” The URL printed on the mailers is thefutureofconeyisland.com, which currently is a “parked domain” page. However, the domain name traces back to The Marino Organization, which is the PR firm of Thor’s and developer Joe Sitt’s PR person, Lee Silberstein. Mr. Silberstein is frequently quoted on Thor’s behalf. Hence, The Future of Coney Island is closely tied to Thor Equities, even if it will be set up as another organization on paper.
We haven’t seen the flyer–it is said to include renderings of the Cyclone, Parachute Jump and Wonder wheel, as well of photos of people eating, Nathans and other scenes. Its content was posted on the Coney Island Discussion Board. The verbiage is as follows:
Serving the community
Real Opportunities….
The future of Coney Island will tickle the senses and excite your taste buds. Residents of the area will soon have a variety of new restaurants, at all price levels to choose from. They will have a full-service hotel to accommodate visiting family and friends, a great selection of neighborhood and destination stores in which to shop…and a whole new modern amusement district made up of rides and games to enjoy (in boldface) throughout the entire year (end of boldface).
The new Coney Island will honor the colorful history of the Boardwalk as America’s amusement destination, and it will bring visitors back to a place that has brought joy to millions of people.
The mailer includes (shades of Atlantic Yards promotional material sent out by Forest City Ratner) a return mail postcard that says, “Let us know your thoughts” and asks the recipient to check any of the following:
Yes, my community needs jobs
yes, my community needs more amenities
yes, there should be more amusements in Coney Island
yes, the Coney Island season should be expanded
The promo mailer says nothing about housing or highrises, both of which are controversial parts of Thor’s plan. It was previously reported that Thor is planning a PR campaign for its Coney plans, including five mailers.
