Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday signed the certificate of incorporation creating a new Business Improvement District in Coney Island with a first-year operating budget of up to $1 million.
Speaking on the boardwalk, Mamdani called the move the start of a new chapter for the waterfront neighborhood.
“The launch of the Coney Island Business Improvement District marks a new era of investment in this beloved community,” he said.
The mayor said the BID would bring supplemental sanitation, marketing and business support to the neighborhood ahead of the 2026 summer season, when officials say the area draws more than 5 million visitors each year.
Coney Island will become Brooklyn’s 24th BID and the city’s 78th overall, according to the Department of Small Business Services.
New York City BIDs collectively receive about $207 million annually for services across the five boroughs, according to city data.
The up to $1 million allocated for Coney Island is in addition to the more than $850,000 the city said it has already invested in the neighborhood to support commercial revitalization and merchant organizing.
“By strengthening sanitation, public space, and business support along Mermaid and Surf Avenues, we’re building a Coney Island where local commerce thrives, corridors are cleaner and safer, and economic opportunity is rooted in the community,” Mamdani said in a statement.
The district is expected to fund sanitation, landscaping and marketing efforts along Surf and Mermaid avenues.
“That means a variety of sanitation and beautification efforts, from the development of marketing materials to power wash shared spaces, to touches like potted plants and festive lights lining Mermaid Avenue during the holidays,” Mamdani said Sunday.
Dennis Vourderis, vice president of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, said business owners have been pushing for more reliable services.
“The most important thing that the BID will provide is consistent supplemental sanitation, which is so important,” he said.
According to the city, BIDs collectively reported collecting an average of 10,421 trash bags and removing graffiti 2,227 times per day during fiscal year 2024. The city also reported an average of 11 public events and 2,796 marketing materials distributed daily across BID districts.
The Coney Island BID will include storefronts and properties along Surf and Mermaid avenues and is expected to be operational by July, city officials said.
link