Today, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYC Department of Small Business Services celebrated the formation of the new Coney Island Business Improvement District (BID) following the Mayor's signing of the Certificate of Incorporation on February 15, 2026.
With a first-year operating budget of up to $1 million, the Coney Island BID will deliver supplemental services to strengthen small businesses around the world-renowned amusement district, improve neighborhood livability, promote growth, and create vibrant public spaces that support year-round economic activity. With the Mayor's signing of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Coney Island BID is on track to be operational by July 2026, in time for the peak summer season in a neighborhood that welcomes more than five million visitors each year. To date, SBS has invested more than $850,000 in Coney Island to support commercial revitalization, merchant organizing, and neighborhood stewardship.
"The formation of the Coney Island Business Improvement District is about investing in the small businesses and working families who make this neighborhood iconic all year long," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "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."
"The creation of the Coney Island Business Improvement District is the culmination of a multi-year process of research, community consultation, pilot programs, and demonstrated local support," said SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross. "This self-sustaining entity will build on Coney Island's global reputation as the People's Playground while delivering shared prosperity for the small businesses that line Mermaid and Surf Avenues. The Department of Small Business Services is proud of the role its Neighborhood Development Division played in this effort and congratulates the Alliance for Coney Island and all members of the BID steering committee."
"Coney Island is iconic around the world, but it's the year-round residents and small business owners who make this neighborhood truly special," said Council Member Kayla Santosuosso. "This new Business Improvement District means cleaner streets, stronger commercial corridors from Surf to Mermaid, and real, sustained investment in the community that Coney Islanders deserve."
"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to work alongside residents, merchants, and students to help beautify Coney Island," said Pamela Pettyjohn, founder of Coney Island Beautification Project. "We hope the formation of the Coney Island BID will provide the structure, resources, and long-term commitment needed to carry this work forward year after year and help make Coney Island a place small businesses, neighbors, and families can thrive."
"We're thrilled to see the Coney Island BID finally come to life," said Dennis Vourderis, Vice President of Deno's Wonder Wheel Park. "The funding from the BID will ensure Coney Island continues to grow and move forward, and we're looking forward to clean streets and a safer, more vibrant Coney Island for everyone to enjoy."
The newly formed Coney Island BID will include storefronts and properties along Mermaid Avenue and Surf Avenue, serving as a year-round partner for the local business community. Services will include:
· Sanitation and maintenance
· Public space programming and beautification
· District marketing and events
· Business support and technical assistance
· Advocacy on behalf of local merchants and property-owners
