After Astroland issued a statement earlier today that it has been unable to negotiate a lease extension and will close for good on September 7, MAS called on New York City to mediate a resolution between Astroland and Thor Equities to ensure that the amusement park returns next season.

“We cannot allow the last remaining amusement park in Coney Island to be reduced to rubble,” said Kent Barwick, President of MAS. “The plans currently on the table are speculative, inadequate, and would take decades to come to fruition. Astroland is real and serves as an amenity for millions of New Yorkers. The City must do everything in its power to save Astroland for the upcoming seasons, just as it saved the Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel and the Parachute Jump from certain death.”

MAS is working to ensure that redevelopment for Coney Island returns the areas to its former position as the “world’s playground”. For more MAS advocacy on Coney Island, visit www.mas.org/urbanplanning/coney-island.