Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Brooklyn Record: Coney Island: Funky T-Shirts Out, Condos In:

Dianna Carlin, owner of Lola Staar Souvenir Boutique, has been selling her Coney Island-themed tees on the boardwalk for seven years and she was planning on sticking around — but after she signed a lease (that was never executed) with Thor Equities, she was evicted. The lease also included a confidentiality clause — which was seemingly meant to stop local businesses from complaining about watching their neighborhood get knocked down. “Thor has forced everyone to sign the confidentiality clause, so when people go to the businesses and ask about it, all you can do is shrug your shoulders,” Carlin said. “They’re trying to deceive everyone into believing they will create amusements. They just want to play hardball with the city to get the zoning changed so they can build condos on the boardwalk.”