The Cyclone roller coaster, built in 1927 by Harry C. Baker and Vernon Keenan, became one of Coney Island's most famous attractions and gave its name to nearby parkland on Surf Avenue and 10th Street. Running 2,640 feet of track in a minute and fifty seconds, it carries 24 passengers, reaches speeds of 60 mph, and features an 85-foot drop at a 58.6-degree descent angle. In 1969, the city purchased the land and the ride from owner Silvio Pinto for $1.2 million and for many years leased it back to him for $25,000 a year. In 1975, Dewey Albert's Astroland amusement park won the bidding to operate the Cyclone. During a period of economic decline in Coney Island's amusement industry, the ride was nearly demolished as the nearby New York Aquarium sought the site through a federal grant for expansion. In 1978, NYC Parks Commissioner Gordon J. Davis requested cancellation of the grant, citing changing attitudes toward destroying the historic Cyclone and concern that its loss without immediate redevelopment plans would harm the Coney Island economy. Those efforts saved the ride from demolition, and in 1991 it was listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places. Astroland closed in 2008 after a new lease deal could not be reached, and a revitalization plan followed to preserve and expand the historic amusement area. On May 29, 2010, Luna Park opened with nineteen improved and updated rides designed, developed, and operated by Central Amusement International. As one of the last remnants of Coney Island's heyday as "The Nation's Playground," the Cyclone remains one of the area's most popular and prized attractions.
