Called the Koni Center, it will replace the existing stage, which has already fallen into disrepair and will become a venue for concerts of a higher level than before: it is designed for 8,000 spectators. This summer theater should revitalize the entire Coney Island recreational area, which has lost popularity after the last amusement park closed last year. The city's authorities plan to reconstruct the park itself and the surrounding residential areas, and the Koni Center will be the first step in this direction.
The theater will be protected from the sun and rain by a lightweight roof in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid, built of metal structures and translucent plexiglass. The public will be provided with 5,000 removable seats, as well as a lawn designed for an additional 3,000 spectators. The configuration of the arrangement of the rows can be changed, which will allow using the Koni-Center for a variety of events. In winter, all seats will be removed and the theater will be converted into a skating rink.
It is also planned to reconstruct and partially move to a new location the nearby children's playground, since the Koni Center will receive a more developed technical area for the stage than the existing stage. The project budget is $ 47 million, construction should begin this fall and end in 2011.
