Construction Begins At Coney Island’s New Steeplechase Plaza

Looks like the big red parachute jump in Coney Island will have a new buddy.

The city began construction yesterday under the famous Parachute jump on the $29.5 million Steeplechase Plaza, reports the New York Post.

“The parachute jump has always been this amazing icon, but now you’re going to get to enter Steeplechase Plaza underneath it. And as you peek through it, it’ll pull you into the park,” said one of the plaza’s designer, David Rockwell from Rockwell Group, in a NY1 segment.

The 2.2 acre Steeplechase Plaza, will sit between West 16th Street and West 19th Street and will feature the B&B carousel, Coney Island’s last remaining historic carousel, on a two-story pavilion as the plaza’s center piece.

The 1919 wooden carousel was bought by the city in 2005 for nearly $2 million and is currently being restored in Ohio. It includes 50 hand-carved wooden horses and two chariots.

“Steeplechase Plaza is a first big step at building up the western end, that also includes soon-to-be built new playgrounds, shops and market-rate high-rise housing,” said local Councilman Domenic Recchia in the Post article.

The plaza and the carousel will be ready by 2013, says the city.