Forget the Cyclone, bingo night could be the next big attraction in Coney Island.
High-rise housing is coming to the western end of the fabled boardwalk after five decades of failed attempts — and seniors could be the primary recipients of the 415 market-rate rentals planned by Gristedes supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis’ firm Red Apple Real Estate.
During a public hearing Monday on the “Ocean Dreams” seaside plan between W. 34th and W. 36th streets, Borough President Marty Markowitz said he believes it should be marketed towards people 55 and over to be “most successful.”
Markowitz even called for reserving at least one of the projects three towers, which range from 14 to 22 stories high, for seniors only.
“People who are 55, 60 years old don’t want to live in a building with screaming kids,” said the 66-year-old Markowitz.
Lawyer Jay Segal, who is overseeing Red Apple’s application for a needed city permit, said the developer plans to market hard towards attracting individuals 55 and over, adding he believes it’s a “strong market.”
He said the developer would seriously consider Markowitz’s proposal and another by the Beep to include an A-list seafood restaurant in the project’s 24,790 square feet of ground-floor retail.
The Riegelmann Boardwalk lacks quality eateries; Markowitz said the closest is Tatiana’s, a Russian supper club two miles away in Brighton Beach.
Segal said the project isn’t expected to break ground until 2013 and open until 2014. He said it’s too soon to predict rental rates.
The 428,000-square-foot project, which also includes 418 parking spaces and a supermarket, recently received local support from Community Board 13.
The city, through a 2009 area rezoning, opted to keep condos out of the amusement district, instead designating them to underused tracts to the west. The Red Apple site, a former bus lot, has been targeted for housing since at least 2005.
Developers had tried, but failed, for decades to get city blessing to build high-rise units along the boardwalk. This includes real estate tycoon Fred Trump’s bid in the 1960s to build Miami Beach-style high-rises at the former Steeplechase Park site, and most recently, developer Joe Sitt’s failed bid to build seaside condos in the amusement area.