Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Coney Island Amphitheater

June 29, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Congratulations.

Thank you so much. Well, this is a wonderful day for Brooklyn – to coin a phrase, ‘What’s good for Brooklyn, is good for New York City.’

[Laughter]

I want to thank Jay for the fantastic collaboration on this project. This took a lot of work. A lot of great people here contributed to this success. I want to thank you all – very proud to officially open this Amphitheater.

Now, our friend from Live Nation said they already have programmed 12 different genres of music, and that’s exceptional, that’s extraordinary – well, no, I would say that’s Brooklyn because we have it all, every kind of person, every culture, every nation of the world represented, and that’s what makes us great.

So, I’m thrilled to hear that the music industry is reacting with such energy to this location because this location has it all. Look at it. How many venues in this whole nation can boast of such a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and open air and Coney Island – the legend of Coney Island, a legend that grows now?

This is going to be one of the special places in New York City, and it proves that the greatest city in the world can keep getting greater.

So, I want to thank everyone who is a part of making this happen. I especially want to thank the people of Coney Island. Because Coney Island is legendary because of its people – let’s remember that.

This place, to me, whenever I talk to people from around the nation, around the world who say they want to understand New York City, they want to see the New York City – I say to them, and I’ve been saying this long before I was Mayor, I say one of the places you have to go is Coney Island because this is our truest self.

This is a place for everyone. You come to this beach on a summer’s day – it’s the United Nations. And this neighborhood is full of energy, and strength, and resiliency, and spirit, and good times and bad. And that is New York City.

So I really want to pay tribute to the people of Coney Island who have given the spirit and the personality to this great destination for decades and decades. This is a triumph for the people of Coney Island as well.

Now, we always invoke the phrase, “Success has many mothers and fathers.” My wife, Chirlane, has insisted that I order it properly – “Success has many mothers and fathers.” But in this case I want to call out a father in particular because there was a visionary born in Brooklyn years ago. And if you watched him in his time as borough president, you know, you sometimes were tempted to say, ‘Is that idea actually ever going to happen?’ Whatever it was, he had more than one. But there is a place in this world for sheer force of will, and for vision, and for love of your borough, and your people.

So, my dear friends, let’s thank Marty Markowitz.

[Applause]

And let’s thank his inspiration, Jamie Markowitz. Thank you.

[Applause]

Marty, you kept coming back year after year with those wonderful concerts. And you wanted something even more. So, I hope today you’re feeling an incredible satisfaction that your dream came true. Congratulations.

[Applause]

Now, as JFK once said, ‘The torch has been passed to a new generation.” And our borough president – I am very proud to be a Brooklynite. And one of the reasons I’m proud to be a Brooklynite is because of Borough President Eric Adams, who is doing an amazing job for this borough.

[Applause]

And I can safely say one of the people I partner with the most in the work of this administration to create a more equitable city, and a city for everyone – he feels it in his heart and soul. I know this is a day he’s celebrating because of what it means for this borough and its continued promise. You know, Eric, just recognize – now the word Brooklyn, all over the world, is synonymous with cool, and happening, and modern, and everything people want in their lives – and you govern over that. Thank you, Eric Adams.

[Applause]

Thank you to our colleagues in government, our partners in all we do – Council Member Mark Treyger and Assemblymember Pam Harris – thank you very much to both of you.

[Applause]

Thank you to all the community leaders; all the Economic Development officials; a special thank you to my friend Carlo Scissura, the President of Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

[Applause]

And a big thank you to Maria Torres-Springer and everyone at EDC. This is an achievement you have a lot to be proud of for.

[Applause]

Now very quickly – Coney Island. So you know when Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote A Coney Island of the Mind – and it’s sort of one of these great phrases that captures the fact that Coney Island is something bigger than life. And it has been for so long because it captures the human experience – everything that we hope for, everything we love. Yes, some of our flaws and foibles as well. But the humanity, the energy, intensity of Coney Island have always been what has drawn people to it. This is the place – in many ways this is where the concept of the amusement park was born. It captured that human desire for the thrill and the opportunity to gather together and experience something new. Coney Island has always been that.

But again, more than that, Coney Island has been a neighborhood for everyday people who struggled and strived. It’s not been a favored neighborhood over the years. It’s not been the easiest place. It’s been a place where people have worked hard. And it’s been a place that deserves more of a break. And we have endeavored to make the investments that will help to build the Coney Island as a place for everyone. Now, after Sandy hit I spent a lot of time here. And I have to tell you – the admiration I have for the people of Coney Island, how they dealt with that challenge, and how they continue to move forward since – it’s an example to this whole city. And this amphitheater is one form of investment, and it’s a crucial one because it’s already brought 250 jobs. And we are very adamant about jobs benefitting the local community and the local borough to the maximum extent. So under our HireNYC initiative, 182 of those jobs are held by Brooklynites and 48 of them by Coney Island residents.

[Applause]

There’s 40,000 square feet of greenspace for every member of the community to enjoy. And this is part of a bigger vision – $180 million investment in Coney Island and its future. And we want it to be a place for everyone. We want it to be sustainable and resilient. And so we’re going to be putting in the kinds of investments that will help Coney Island weather the future – new streets at higher grades, upgraded sewer systems – all the basics. And – and this is my particular passion – 1,000 affordable apartments will rise in this neighborhood – 1,000 affordable apartments.

[Applause]

Next year, we’ll break ground on at least 300. And they’ll be home because a lot of people ask me – Eric you’ve asked me this, everyone asks me – what is affordable? Well on the homes we’ll be breaking ground on next year – they will be available to New Yorkers earning as little as $20,000 a year, so truly affordable.

So this place symbolizes the strength and the beauty of this neighborhood. It’s an absolutely beautiful facility. It’s going to be a place people want to come to from all over the city and from much farther. It’s going to be one of the exciting places in this city. And I congratulate everyone who made it happen. And just a few words in Spanish.

[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish.]

And we will prosper and grow together, brothers and sisters.

Congratulations.

[Applause]