Protesters And City Officials Hold Press Conference This Sunday Demanding Iconic Boardwalk Remain Wood

Community activists, residents, and public officials are coming together to decry the city’s plans to replace portions of the iconic Riegelmann Boardwalk from Brighton 15th Street to Coney Island Avenue with concrete, which they claim will irrevocably change the character of this iconic structure.

Led by Council Members Mark Treyger and Chaim Deutsch, the press conference will be held on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island Avenue this Sunday, January 18 at 1:00pm. Joining them will be NYC Park Advocates, Natural Resources Protective Association and Coney-Brighton Boardwalk Alliance.

Treyger and Deutsch, earlier this month, took steps to ensure that the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk remain a scenic landmark in a last ditch effort to save it from a city project, which began in November, that would replace the boardwalk’s wooden planks with cement.

The two also launched a Change.org petition that calls on the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) to designate the boardwalk as an official scenic landmark. Constituents can sign the petition, which will be submitted to the mayor’s office and the LPC, online or at their district offices.

Since its opening in 1923, millions of tourists from around the world have flocked to this Southern Brooklyn attraction, resulting in cherished memories for generations of New Yorkers and visitors, Treyger wrote. He noted that “any alteration to the style and composition of the boardwalk would irreparably damage its character and diminish its historic value.”