Mayor Mamdani signs $1M BID certificate to revitalize iconic waterfront neighborhood
Coney Island Poised for Commercial Transformation Under New Business Improvement District
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has signed the certificate of incorporation establishing the Coney Island Business Improvement District, marking what local merchants and community leaders are calling a historic moment for a neighborhood long neglected by city government. The creation of the BID, which will operate with a first-year budget of up to $1 million, comes with a promise to deliver supplemental services that local business owners have requested for years. The district will focus its efforts along Mermaid and Surf Avenues, the neighborhood’s commercial heart, becoming Brooklyn’s 24th BID and New York City’s 78th overall.
Years of Advocacy Bears Fruit for Coney Island Business Community
For merchants and longtime residents, the formation of the district represents validation after a prolonged campaign to secure reliable city services. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, one of Coney Island’s most recognizable establishments, has been at the forefront of efforts to create the BID. Dennis Vourderis, vice president of the iconic amusement destination, emphasized that business owners have pushed hard for consistent supplemental sanitation, a core service that the BID will now provide. Beyond cleaner streets, the BID will handle maintenance work including landscaping, potted plant installations, and festive decorations lining the commercial corridors during holiday seasons. The district is expected to power wash shared spaces, develop marketing materials, and coordinate promotional campaigns that highlight Coney Island’s global reputation as the People’s Playground.
Economic Opportunity Rooted in Community Investment
The mayor articulated an ambitious vision for the district, stating that by strengthening sanitation, public space, and business support along Mermaid and Surf Avenues, the city is building a Coney Island where local commerce thrives, corridors are cleaner and safer, and economic opportunity remains rooted in the community rather than being extracted by absentee investors. Pamela Pettyjohn, founder of the Coney Island Beautification Project, described the BID as a potential game-changer for the neighborhood. She noted that her organization has invested thousands of hours in beautification efforts and expressed hope that the formal BID structure would provide the long-term commitment necessary to sustain and expand such work year after year. Coney Island attracts more than five million visitors annually during the peak summer season, making it a critical economic engine for Brooklyn and the broader city. Yet the neighborhood’s infrastructure had been allowed to deteriorate under previous administrations. The city had previously invested more than $850,000 in Coney Island through the Department of Small Business Services to support commercial revitalization, merchant organizing, and neighborhood stewardship. The BID represents the next phase of that commitment.
Breaking Cycles of Government Neglect
City Council Member Kayla Santosuosso, who represents Coney Island, worked closely with the mayor to advance the BID. She highlighted that the new entity means cleaner streets, stronger commercial corridors, and real, sustained investment in a community that deserves better than decades of neglect. The BID model, common throughout New York City, allows local stakeholders to oversee and fund maintenance, improvement, and promotion of their commercial districts. While BIDs do not replace standard city services, they deliver improvements above and beyond what municipal government typically provides. The NYC Government Services Portal outlines how BIDs operate throughout the city. For more information about the Department of Small Business Services and how it supports commercial districts, visit NYC Small Business Services. Community leaders also consulted the Empire State Business Council regarding best practices for BID formation and operations. The mayor’s office coordinated with various stakeholder groups to ensure NYC Consumer Affairs standards would be upheld throughout the district.
