Coney Island's Luna Park Planning Two Year Expansion

© Bing Maps

Coney Island's Luna Park, run by Zamperla, has announced an expansion plan that will span the next two years.  When complete, Luna Park will have grown by 50%, from 300,000 square feet to 450,000 square feet.

A big part of the area to be built on can be seen in the red box above, a long vacant parcel next to the baseball stadium and bordered by the Thunderbolt roller coaster.  Last year the city looked for proposals for at least five parcels of land between West 10th and West 16th streets, and Zamperla's operating company was chosen to develop them all.

© NYCEDC

Not all of the spaces will be used for thrill rides, however.  For instance, the above area is an outdoor food vendor location, which will allow visitors to grab a bite to eat and relax.  This specific plaza appears to take over the dead-end road between the go-karts and the Soarin' Eagle coaster.  Several of the other plazas will feature new entertainment and rest areas, and they will better connect the boardwalk's offerings to the city.  The exit from the subway will no be decorated for Luna Park with an adjacent plaza.

© NYCEDC

Going into that thin strip of land we discussed is a new flume ride and the above Rope Circus, an interactive ropes course.  If you click these images for larger versions there are additional details available, continuing the circus theme throughout.  The ropes course will be part of the Adventure Park, and is scheduled to open in 2019.

© NYCEDC

On the horizon for 2020 is a brand new flume ride, depicted above.  There can never be enough log flume rides in my opinion, so this will be a fantastic addition.  The ride will be located right along the boardwalk, facing the ocean and drawing passengers in through a central building.  The ride will stand around 40 feet tall and feature a final drop that sends the boats at 30 miles per hour.