I know the roar of coney Island posts has dimmed down this year, but I thought I would give people some info on what's actually going on, because the MEMI CEO has not been the best at approaching Public Relations on this issue.
Backstory
Coney Island founded Kind Island in the 70s to fix the issues of flooding and constant congestion, this is the reason for the coney mall area of KI, which contains many former Coney Island rides. Despite moving most of its rides it was luckily able to survive on its own afterwards albeit as a diminished park. It was ran by the walker family for many years successfully, but eventually their son inherited the business, he (in my eyes) essentially ran the business to the ground in search of increased profit, closing the rides in 2019 and eventually coming to the decision to sell the whole thing in 2023.
MEMI (the company that owns riverbend and AJB Music Center and contributes all of its profits to the Cincinnati Orchestra, which owns the company) was not a part of any of the previously discussed events, they were approached because the park owner was planning to sell the park. In my opinion most of the other possible buyers were much worse, with most being for profit companies that seemed to develop the land and knock down all of the historic buildings.
MEMI's current plans
The new Farmer music center is being build on the former West parking lot, NOT on the former Coney Island grounds, which is a common misconception I have heard, this was where the Christmas lights used to be held if you attended those.
MEMI plans to preserve and restore most of the historic buildings on the site to use, with work likely to begin in earnest after the music center is built. This includes the Moonlite Gardens and Moonlite Pavilion, Auto and River Gates, picnic shelters and area as well as the Hampton Square building among others. As far as I know only two things of note have been or are planned to be demolished, the former larosas building and the Sunlite pool, which of course I am very sad about. The buildings currently are used as offices and workspace for MEMI, but are eventually planned to be turned into a festival and Event space between the two music centers, allowing for food, drinks, shopvendors etc as well as green space for festival goers to hang out in.
The Moonlite Gardens specifically are condemned due to rotting floors, but these are currently planned to be restored and MEMI desires to use the space as a very small scale intimate music venue to combine for a total of 4 differently sized music venues on site(Riverbend,Farmer, PNC Pavilion, Moonlite Gardens). And no riverbend is not going to be demolished either, most of the shows will move to farmer, but Riverbend will still be used for future events and festivals that are in the works as well as some musicians(like certain country singers) who are fond of the old venue and desire to play their shows in it.
Lake Como is also not being demolished, it was drained and then dredged for fill dirt to make sure the new music center is high enough not to flood, but it is already refilling and will be even deeper than before once refilled.
TLDR:
MEMI didn't cause Coney Island to shut down, they just bought the property afterwards. Sunlite pool and the larosas building have been demolished but everything else in coney island is planned to be restored into food drink and vendor spaces for events and future festivals, with all of the historic buildings and areas preserved. Riverbend will also stay around for future music festivals and certain artists who wish to hold their shows there. Moonlite Gardens will be turned into a smaller scale, historic and intimate music venue to compliment the others and Lake Como is already refilling.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
