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NEW YORK It's spring in Coney Island, with all the familiar signs of the coming season: The beer flows at Ruby's on the boardwalk, a help-wanted sign rests outside Nathan's Famous, stuffed animals appear in the cramped arcades.
An breeze rolls off the Atlantic but by next summer, the winds of change will blow hard through the venerable Brooklyn beachfront where millions of Americans have frolicked and where both the hot dog and the roller coaster debuted.
After a half-century of neglect, Coney Island is targeted for a $1 billion renovation aimed at creating a year-round attraction to compete against the theme parks that nearly obliterated the neighborhood. The work is at least a year off, but it's already the buzz of the beach.
"Coney Island seemed like it was in a time warp, and would never change," said Dick Zigun, operator of the local Sideshows By the Seashore attraction. "Why not have a bigger, better, more exciting Coney Island?"
Other merchants agree although some wonder if the unique local flavor...