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Scream Zone at Coney Island (including 2 new coasters)

Gavin

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When at the new Lunar Park this summer, we noticed that the ride cards/passes had both "Lunar Park" and "Scream Zone" on them, and speculated that Scream Zone could be another new park for the area.

Well, we were right.

NY1 said:
The landscape in Coney Island is about to change dramatically.

NY1 has obtained exclusive video of some rides coming to a brand new amusement park called "Scream Zone."

A new, cutting-edge roller coaster will be one of four large-scale rides that make up Scream Zone.

The coaster, manufactured by the Italian company Zamperla, soars to 65 feet in the air.

It's quite different from the landmark Cyclone wooden-track coaster Coney Island goers are used to.

Another ride known as "The Turbo Force" will catapult riders up 132 feet in the air while it spins in full circles.

It's not quite as tall as the Parachute Jump or Wonder Wheel, but it is another notable addition to the Coney Island skyline.

Scream Zone will be located on the east side of Stillwell Avenue in a vacant lot near the boardwalk.

Zamperla will develop and operate the property. It's the same company behind Luna Park, which opened Memorial Day weekend.

It's the first amusement park to open in Coney Island in more than 50 years.

Scream Zone is scheduled to be up and running for next season.

http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/top...usive--extreme-coaster-coming-to-coney-island

Just don't get too excited by the "cutting edge, extreme" roller coaster; it's just a Volare, essentially an identical coaster to one just down the road at Rye Playland.
 
I read the other day that the current operations contract for the Cyclone is up so I wonder if they will take over running that coaster as well.
 
I'm in two minds to be honest.

I loved Cyclone and the Coney Island area in general, but I thought Luna Park was dire. Zamperla have basically, apart from one prototype ride, filled it with crap. It's a shame because they have some excellent flat rides out there; they've just chosen not to showcase them at this site.

While it's definitely a plus to keep the site going, I hope that it's not left in the hands of Zamperla for too long, as right now it's just a mess of crappy rides and I can't see it doing Coney Island much good in the long run.
 
^Well said. I also thought Coney Island was fantastic and it had a really nice feel to it. However apart from the plane ride thing (AirRace or something, I don't remember the name) I didn't think the rest of Luna Park had much to offer. This seemed even more of a shame considering the Cyclone was next door one way, and the Wonder Wheel was the other.

Like you said Gavin, lets see some more of these bizarre, obscure and good rides from Zamperla, or lets see someone else take charge.
 
It gets worse...

Zamperla are basically pushing out businesses that have been around Coney Island for years. I'm sorry, but a "redevelopment" that basically consists of getting rid of the whole atmosphere of the area to make room for a few more sub-standard, travelling rides is definitely NOT a step in the right direction.

A few years ago, city planning commissioner Amanda Burden assured New York that both she and Mayor Bloomberg "love" "Shoot the Freak," that slightly sick carnival game out on Coney Island where visitors shot paintballs at an actual human being. The "freak" himself wasn't really a freak, in the way that the stars of Coney Island's freak shows of yore were truly bizarre — it was really just a guy wearing some pads and, in a move some would complain lessened the thrill of the game, carrying a metal shield. But it took the old target-practice fairground games to a new level: You really were shooting at a person, one who couldn't shoot back. As Brian Moylan at Gawker observes, "New York City is not always an easy place to live, and Shoot the Freak was one of the things that was cruel on the surface ... For a change you were the hunter rather than the hunted." It was also something that was truly ugly — and that was the problem.

It wasn't just that you were shooting a weapon at a human being — it was that the whole setup was really ragged. The "Freak" sometimes gave you a run for your money, weaving and diving, but other times he just waddled out and took it, more pathetic than provocative. The "booth" was actually just a vacant lot filled with various piles of detritus behind which the freak could duck and cover. And the whole thing was covered with messy paint splotches — the colors were of the rainbow, but the effect was of mud.

Now Shoot the Freak is one of nine Coney Island institutions — also including Ruby's Bar and Grill, Cha Cha's Bar, Gregory & Paul's, Grill House, Coney Island Souvenirs, and Gyro Corner — whose leases were not renewed under the new management. Less gritty icons like Nathan's, of course, will stay, as will the Beach Shop. "I'm devastated," Ruby's owner Melody Sarrel told the Post. "[New management Zamperla Rides] wants everything new, but that's not what Coney Island's about — it's about nostalgia. People in the summer love to come in for a drink in their bikinis and bathing suits. It won't be the same when they're told to dress up because it's a 'high-class place.'"

It's probably a stretch to imagine Coney Island will ever be a "high-class place." But the charm of it was that it was so purposefully low-class. With this not-so-subtle whitewashing, that era of freakdom has obviously passed.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/let_us_now_mourn_the_loss_of_c.html

Also, it seems that the current operator of the Cyclone wants to get rid of the lease, since it's impossible to make money if it's not attached to a park.

Coney Island thrill seekers have shot their last freak.

The operators of the new Luna Park told nine longtime boardwalk businesses to get out by Nov. 15 -- clearing the way for their new vision of a cleaner, more sanitized Coney Island amusement district.

Only three mainstays will remain, mingling with new tenants like a sit-down restaurant and a sports bar.

Out are beachfront bastions like Ruby's Bar and Grill, Shoot the Freak, Cha Cha's Bar, Gregory & Paul's, Grill House, Coney Island Souvenirs and Gyro Corner, as well as newer concessions like Beer Island and the Pio Pio Riko Peruvian food stand. They were told their leases were not being renewed through vacate notices signed by Valerio Ferrari, president for the park's operator, Zamperla USA.

The surviving businesses are a boardwalk satellite of Nathan's Famous, The Beach Shop and the Lola Staar Souvenir Boutique.

In another game changer, which The Post reported last month, there will be a new operator next summer for the landmark Cyclone roller coaster -- with Zamperla a favorite to get that city lease as well.

Carol Hill Albert, former operator of the now-defunct Astroland Park, is giving up control of the Cyclone after 35 years because it is losing money.

While they knew their tenure was hanging by a thread, news of the lease rejections yesterday hit many boardwalk business owners hard.

Some accused the city -- which owns the property and leased it out long term -- and Zamperla of forcing gentrification on the amusement district at the expense of giving up Coney Island's famously freaky character.

"I'm devastated," said Melody Sarrel, owner of Ruby's, which opened in 1934. "[Zamperla] wants everything new, but that's not what Coney Island's about -- it's about nostalgia.

"People in the summer love to come in for a drink in their bikinis and bathing suits. It won't be the same when they're told to dress up because it's a 'high-class place.' "

Anthony Berlingieri, owner of the Shoot the Freak attraction and sandy Beer Island, said he was considering legal action because Zamperla staff told him they were shutting down Beer Island to replace it with a similar beach bar.

"They're going to steal my idea, after I put a lot of time and money and built it up over the past three years," he said.

Brooklyn Brewery is the favorite to operate the new beer garden, sources said.

Ferrari issued a statement saying the company looks "forward to creating an incredible new experience on the boardwalk, while continuing to honor Coney Island’s magnificent past."

The city last year bought the Astroland site, the boardwalk business space and an adjacent Stillwell Avenue lot from developer Joe Sitt – who regularly flirted with shutting the businesses down — after Sitt 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 subsidiary Central Amusement International 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. It was a huge success drawing more crowds to the boardwalk than it has seen in nearly five decades, according to the city.

Zamperla next summer also plans to open a "Scream Zone" at the Stillwell Avenue lot that includes two roller coasters and two other rides geared for teens.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/axed_coney_faves_are_freaking_out_IJ0pVRpPZk68tlnsbgyOAM

And a bit more that's more specific to the roller coaster:

The operator of the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster wants to stop the ride and get off. Carol Albert, who formerly operated the Astroland amusement park across the street, is five years into a ten year lease from the city, but she says that the costs of maintaining the ride are too great now that she's no longer running Astroland. The Cyclone is a city landmark, and so—unlike the Thunderbolt—it's in no danger of being demolished and turned into a Dave and Buster's by amusement giant Zamperla. But this could mean the seasonal roller coaster will miss its traditional Palm Sunday opening day.

Albert has already laid off the ride's workers, and tells NY1, "I'm not happy about it. It's not what I really wanted to do. The cars are very heavy so the wear and the tear on the tracks is enormous. It's very expensive to keep it up. There are a lot of fixed costs attached to it but if you're running an amusement park across the street, it all works out fine. If not, it's very difficult." She thinks it makes sense for Zamperla to take over the ride, but the city wants to open up the bidding to other operators.

The city will issue a Request for Proposals by the end of the year, and the lengthy process could result in the Cyclone staying dormant for part of the spring and summer. "It would be very difficult to issue it, get it back, do the negotiations, get the repair work done and open in time for the season," Albert speculates. A source at the Mayor's office says, "If it has to open a little later than normal so the work can be completed, we'll do that. But we're also hopeful it will remain open later into the season than in previous years."

http://gothamist.com/2010/11/19/cyclone_operator_quitting_roller_co.php

Sorry, but this whole thing **** ing stinks. The city need to step in and realise that this whole idea is going to end up damaging Coney Island in the long run. What happens when Zamerla leave? They'll be left with even less than they have now, with the added bonus of having sucked out the charm that Coney Island is famous for.
 
So Zamperla have indeed taken over the operations of the Cyclone. Although it appears only for the year, until the city can find another operator.

Apologies if this has already been posted somewhere else, I did look, but couldn't find anything on it.
Source
 
Make that 2 new coasters for Scream Zone.

coneyisland_030211113120--415x215.jpg


The first of four thrill rides in Coney Island’s new $12 million “Scream Zone” is fully installed and ready to roll.
Riders of the 100-foot-tall “Zenobio” will be swept through the air at speeds of over 60mph.
Zenobio is part of Zamperla USA’s Scream Zone under construction on Stillwell Avenue, which will also include the first two major Coney Islander roller coasters since the world-famous Cyclone opened in 1927. The new park is set to open April 16.
Regarding the rest of the Scream Zone, Zamperla says:
* The 66-foot high “Soaring Eagle” coaster should be complete within a week.
* The "Sling Shot" -- where riders will be launched a stomach-churning 200 feet in the air – should be complete by the end of the month.
* The 65-foot-high “Steeplechase” coaster should be complete early next month.
Italian amusement king Zamperla is operating both Luna Park, which opened last year, and the Scream Zone through a city lease.
"With just under two months until the start of the 2011 season, Coney Island's first major roller coaster in 80 years is approaching completion and Zenobio has brought new life to the iconic Coney skyline,” said Zamperla CEO Valerio Ferrari in a prepared statement. “We look forward to another successful summer at Luna Park and to delivering new thrills to visitors with the grand opening of Scream Zone on April 16."
Zamperla through its 10-year city contract also controls boardwalk space now occupied by eight popular businesses and in November served them with eviction notices.
However, these businesses – which are fighting the evictions in court – could return for a final summer season as both sides are currently negotiating a settlement to avoid empty boardwalk storefronts.
*Soaring Eagle is the new Volare & Steeplechase Horses Coaster is the new MotoCoaster.
Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/brook...2mBykNJ?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d71d0807e393174,0
In other Coney Island news, the site of the demolished Thunderbolt wooden coaster is now up for sale again & hopefully we'll get another non-Zamperla coaster to flank the new parks.
 
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