STATEN ISLAND, NY — After a seven-year construction period, Corrado’s Cucina opened on 831 Arthur Kill Rd. Specializing in Southern Italian cuisine, the eatery plans to replace the neighboring vacant safari lot with an amusement park in the spring.
“We are opening up the amusement part in the springtime, and we’re excited to serve the community and be a family place,” said Francesco Cina, one of the owners of the restaurant.
In 2022, a representative for the Parks Department said a restaurant was in the works with batting cages, mini golf, go-carts, bumper cars and more. Supply chain hiccups with the pandemic and utility connection issues stood in the way of a launch. A summer opening in 2022 never happened.
Cina said he is unsure of what the amusement park will offer.
The Italian eatery exists on the site of the former drive-in restaurant/arcade Al Deppe’s. That iconic drive-in restaurant arcade thrived in Greenridge from 1921 through the 1960s. In the ‘90s, it became Safari Golf Amusement Park and Val’s Pizzeria. After those businesses closed, the remaining structures fell into decay.
Al Deppe’s Restaurant and arcade thrived in Greenridge from 1921 through the 1960s. In the ‘90s, it became Safari Golf Amusement Park and Val’s Pizzeria. (Staten Island Historical Society)
Safari Golf was located at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Arthur Kill Road. Staten Island Advance
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