Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City, is a well-known seaside tourist destination that attracts over 5 million visitors annually. In order to better promote local business development and manage public spaces, Mayor Mamdani signed official documents in front of the Ferris wheel landmark on Coney Island on February 15, announcing the establishment of the Coney Island Business Improvement District. The district’s first-year operating budget can reach up to $1 million, and it is expected to start operating before the peak summer tourism season in 2026.
According to city planning, the Coney Island Business Improvement District can start providing services as early as July 2026, covering businesses and properties along Surf Avenue and Mermaid Avenue. City data shows that Coney Island attracts over 5 million visitors annually and is one of New York City’s important tourist and commercial areas.
Coney Island will become Brooklyn’s 24th and the city’s 78th Business Improvement District. The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) stated that all Business Improvement Districts in the city collectively receive approximately $207 million each year for services such as sanitation, marketing, public space management, and business support.
The newly established Coney Island Business Improvement District will offer a variety of supplemental services, including environmental cleaning and street maintenance, public space beautification and event planning, area marketing and promotion, as well as operational and technical support for businesses. Additionally, the improvement district will serve as a collective representative for merchants and property owners to provide feedback to the city government on policy and infrastructure needs.
Prior to this, the city government had already invested over $850,000 in the Coney Island area through the Department of Small Business Services for initiatives related to business revitalization, merchant organization, and community management. Officials stated that the establishment of the Business Improvement District will further institutionalize and expand relevant services on the existing investment foundation.
Statistics provided by the city government show that during the 2024 fiscal year, Business Improvement Districts across the city collected an average of about 10,421 bags of garbage per day, removed graffiti around 2,227 times, and hosted approximately 11 public events, while distributing about 2,796 pieces of marketing materials daily.
Local businesses have expressed support for the city government’s plans. Dennis Vourderis, Vice President of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, mentioned that stable supplemental cleaning and maintenance services in densely populated areas like Coney Island, known for tourist activities, can help improve the street environment and enhance the experiences of visitors and consumers.
On the community organization front, Pamela Pettyjohn, founder of the Coney Island Beautification Project, pointed out that the establishment of the Business Improvement District will provide institutional framework, resources, and long-term commitments, enabling ongoing progress in related beautification and community development efforts.