Touch-up and maintenance work is in full swing at Forest Park Carousel to get it ready for its Memorial Day weekend opening. Forum Newsgroup Photo by Jeremiah Dobruck.
Renovations are underway at the Forest Park Carousel for its opening at the end of the month, and the company formed just last month to run the attraction says it will be $3 or less per ride when the horses start running.
Last week, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced they selected NY Carousel Entertainment as the new operator.
The company, which hadn’t officially existed before March, was created by a group of amusement industry lovers with the purpose of taking on these two carousels, a spokesperson for the group said.
“We are a group of people who love NYC, who care deeply about the history of the amusement industry and who cherish the uniqueness and understand the special place these magical rides hold in the hearts of New Yorkers,” said Ara Chekmayan, who was hired as the group’s spokesman.
At the Forest Park site through this week, contractors were sanding floors, repairing roll-down metal gates, sprucing up fencing, adding fresh coats of paint, renovating the snack shack and making general repairs.
“Everything that we’ve done so far are all cosmetics,” said Julio Tomala, the contractor at the site.
The city issued NY Carousel Entertainment a work permit while it waits on final contract approval from the Franchise and Concession Review Committee.
Both Forest Park and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park carousels are expected to
Forum Newsgroup Photo by Jeremiah Dobruck.
open by Memorial Day weekend.
“The amount of time and the amount of people they have, it’s a pretty big undertaking,” said Chekmayan.
However, Chekmayan did not give details on just how many people are part of NY Carousel Entertainment and what their background is—other than saying, “This is not their first foray into running amusements.”
NY Carousel Entertainment did not participate in the previous rounds of bidding to win a contract to run the carousel.
According to state documents, the company was recently formed on March 20 and is operating out of a Brooklyn office.
Chekmayan did say that the company realizes how significant the carousels are to the neighborhoods and that operating hours for the two will be nailed down in the near future. The plan is to have them open daily.
“We are a group that truly values and appreciates the significance of these carousels and our first concern is the proper maintenance and refurbishment of the carousels for the enjoyment of families throughout the metro area and particularly Queens, N.Y.,” he said.
The city also offered NY Carousel Entertainment and other bidders the chance to install more rides and attractions around Forest Park Carousel, but residents will have to wait and see if that’s in the cards.
Right now, the company isn’t sure about its future plans other than getting the horses galloping and the snack bar next door up and running again.
“During this initial phase our focus at present is to bring these carousels back to life for the enjoyment of the community,” Chekmayan said. At the Forest Park site we want to emphasize the grandeur of the carousel and what an unbelievable opportunity this is for the public to experience for themselves the wonder and magic of an authentic piece of Americana.”
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
