The restored Childs Building on the Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn. Source: NYCEDC

NEW YORK CITY—City officials and business leaders were on hand for the ribbon cutting for the restored Childs Building on the Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The event also marked the opening of the Kitchen 21 restaurant at the Childs Building, located adjacent to the new Ford Amphitheater. The New York City Economic Development Corp. brokered the deal for the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk and the adaptive reuse of the adjacent Childs Building, a historic Coney Island landmark, with iStar and nonprofit Coney Island USA in 2014.

The public-private partnership included $60 million in investment from the offices of the Brooklyn Borough President, the New York City Council, and Mayor Bill de Blasio, to support the renovation of the long vacant Childs Building, in addition to property acquisition, development of the 5,000-seat amphitheater, and the creation of 40,000 square feet of adjacent open space.

The new Kitchen 21, operated by Legends Hospitality, brings a new a full-service restaurant to the Coney Island Boardwalk with five different settings and concepts in the renovated Childs Building. The new restaurant has created 138 new jobs, nearly 75% of which have gone to Brooklyn residents, city officials state.

The Childs Building was originally built in 1923 and served as home to the Childs Restaurant until the 1950s, when the space was converted to a candy manufacturing facility. After the candy factory closed, the property fell into disrepair and became an eyesore on Coney Island's Boardwalk.

“Coney Island is booming,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President James Patchett. “Unprecedented investment is creating opportunities for residents and driving the neighborhood forward as one of the country's landmark destinations. Kitchen 21 in the historic Childs Building will bring incredible dining experiences and another reason to visit the thriving amusement district.”

Last summer, the Ford Amphitheater—New York City's first open-air concert venue—opened. In its first season, the amphitheater hosted almost 50 shows, including such artists as the Beach Boys, Sting, and Erykah Badu, among others. The amphitheater, which is operated by Live Nation, has secured a summer entertainment lineup this year that includes more than 40 concerts, as well as a variety of family shows, sports, comedy and multicultural events.

NEW YORK CITY—City officials and business leaders were on hand for the ribbon cutting for the restored Childs Building on the Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

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City Cuts Ribbon on Restored Childs Building on Coney Island Boardwalk

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