The Astroland amusement park on Coney Island, New York, US, has now closed for the season but it is still unclear whether it will open for business next year.

The rides at the 3.1-acre park are owned and managed by the Alberts family, but the land is currently owned by Thor Equities.

Jerome and Carol Albert secured a lease-back agreement to operate Astroland and its rides when they sold the land to real estate developers Thor for US$30m in November 2006.

However, the current one-year land lease deal comes to a close next month and, according to Carol Albert, the family has given up on hope of securing a new two-year contract to keep operating a park on the site until 2010.

Albert added that the family may now be forced to put around two dozen rides up for sale, although many other rides, including the historic Cyclone roller coaster and Wonder Wheel, are not part of Astroland and would not affected by the possible closure of the park.

In a further twist in the tale, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has hinted that city officials may step in and attempt to negotiate a one-year renewal of Astroland's lease.

Astroland first opened its doors in 1962 and was rebuilt after a fire in 1975.