Hunter Roberts Construction Group Builds Ford Amphitheater At Coney Island Boardwalk, Seaside Park And Community Arts Center

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunter Roberts Construction Group (Hunter Roberts) is pleased to announce the firm has transformed the landmark Childs Restaurant building, located on the historic Coney Island Riegelmann Boardwalk, into the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center. Ford Amphitheater, the new home of the Coney Island Summer Concert Series and New York City's first outdoor concert venue, opened on July 1. Restoration of the restaurant building was completed September 2016. The project will be seeking LEED Silver certification.

The Modernization of a Boardwalk Landmark
Hunter Roberts was contracted by iStar Financial to complete the rehabilitation of the Childs Restaurant building, along with a 5,000 SF bi-level roof patio. The Landmarked facades required fenestration, significant masonry and stucco restoration, parapet and roof bulkhead repairs, and replacement of the roofing system. New construction includes bathrooms, common corridors, storage rooms, and back-of-house areas common to performance venues. A large cut was made into the unfinished brick side of the building to accommodate a 60-foot by 40-foot stage, requiring structural steel and metal decking installation. Built in 1923, the Childs Restaurant building is known for its Spanish Revival style architecture and elaborate terra cotta ornamentation.

Creating an Innovative Amphitheater
The 5,000-seat venue, the cornerstone of the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center, will host concerts, comedy shows, sports, and multicultural events. The amphitheater's seating area is covered by a tensile fabric roof membrane, anchored by several structural steel arches. Before soil was imported and graded to create the outdoor seating and park, existing underground utilities were relocated and a retaining wall, new water piping, electrical utilities, telecom, and sanitary and storm water piping were installed. New improvements include site landscaping, event and house lighting, an outdoor audio/visual system, temporary point-of-sale booths, benches, signage, and park play areas.

SOURCE Hunter Roberts Construction Group