federal funding. The beaches were most recently restored after Hurricane Sandy through the Sandy Relief Bill, in which 600,000 cubic yards of sand was placed on the beaches through a $7.2 million dollar contract.
DECLINE AND MODERN DEVELOPMENT Until the early twentieth century, Coney Island had very few yearround residents. This changed when Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants settled into two-storey stucco homes and smaller apartment buildings in the area near West 15th, 16th, and 17th streets, between Neptune and Surf Avenues. Following the stock market crash in 1929, development ceased in Coney Island and a number of businesses closed. At this time, the City took control of the beach and boardwalk, moving the latter inland to reduce the amusement areas and expand the beach. Private investment in the area stalled and, eventually, after a 1944 fire damaged Luna Park (one of the three enclosed parks built at the turn of the century), City Park Commissioner Robert Moses rezoned the land for residential use. In order to accommodate housing shortages after World War II, there was an attempt to insulate the beach bungalows for year-round use. However, the small, lightweight structures were ineffective in this area given desired densities and land values. In 1953, Moses extended the rezoning to the entire island. This resulted in the redevelopment of many areas north of the boardwalk and included the construction of several large-scale apartment complexes and public housing projects.
CONEY ISLAND BEFORE SANDY Coney Island remains a popular summer destination and attracts an eclectic range of visitors to its waterfront amusements. Although the residential area of Coney Island is a close community with many wonderful characteristics, quality of life in the neighborhood today is lower than adjacent communities, and 1 in 6 residents lives in public housing. Some note that the community lacks diversity in housing options and basic commercial and service-oriented opportunities.
DEMOGRAPHICS Population: 45,000 Land Area: 0.7 square miles Density: 64,286 people per square mile Median Age: 38.4 years Median Household Income: $32,100 Percentage Below Poverty Line: 23% Housing Tenure: 21% owner-occupied, 79% renter-occupied Median Unit Value: $320,800 Cultural Background: 32% African American, 31% Caucasian, 26% Hispanic, 9% Asian, and 2% Other
As these housing developments rolled out across Coney Island in the 1960s, residents became concerned about the changes in their community and the potential for deterioration, especially in respect to developer Fred Trump’s plan to build “Trump Village” in the area. In response, the Astella (Associated Tenants and Landlords) Development Corporation was formed in 1975 and was able to postpone this development through protesting and demonstrating that Coney Island was a strong, coherent community. Since its inception, Astella has been essential in the development of the neighborhood as it exists today and has built nearly 1,000 affordable, low-rise prefabricated homes for the community, many of which were visited during the PostSandy field work. Astella was also able to halt the construction of all new high-rise public housing buildings in Coney Island after 1975, in an effort to maintain a healthy balance of public and market housing in the community.
98
ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY NEW YORK