The Parks Department has recently allocated $13.7 million for boardwalk restoration, which will entail the replacement of the wooden planks with concrete decking for 15 blocks of the 2.7-mile boardwalk. A section between West 15th Street and Stillwell Avenue will be renovated using wood decking over concrete slabs.

“Our office looks forward to working with the Parks Department and the community to ensure the restoration of our famed Coney Island boardwalk,” said Mark Zustovich, a spokesman for Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Todd Dobrin, community board 13 member and chair of Friends of the Boardwalk, said that the textile change shouldn’t overshadow the fact that areas of the famed, yet dangerously damaged, boardwalk will finally be fixed.

“The good thing is that the repairs are being made,” said he said. “The City needs to prevent the constant potential for injury in the community and they couldn’t maintain the wood decking – it was very expensive; it wasn’t in the Parks Department’s budget.”

Although Dobrin says that he, much like the rest of the community, would prefer traditional wood decking, the new concrete boards are stronger, more durable, and cost less to maintain.

“[The boardwalk] presents not only a blight for residents and visitors but an ongoing danger for pedestrians and passersby,” explained Nadler, referring to the existing condition of the boardwalk. “I support finding a solution which is affordable, safe, environmentally sound, attractive and sensitive to Coney Island's history and character.”

But only time will tell just how safe the regenerated boardwalk will be. Dobrin says that despite what seems like a bulletproof plan, there may be serious flaws in the project.

“The new planks are already popping up and it has to be addressed immediately,” he said. “To spend that kind of money on renovation and have the same existing problem that we already have is unacceptable.”

Dobrin says that a section of the boardwalk near Coney Island’s amusement area, where new planks have already been installed, already has boards coming loose. The issue was brought up in community board 13, but they have yet to hear back from the Parks Department.

“I hope it’s not a major flaw in the project,” he said. “We’ve been fighting for the boardwalk to be repaired for 15 years and this is a plan that sounds logical.”