#1 out of 5
politics23h ago
With plans for a Coney Island Business Improvement District, Mayor Mamdani might do something right
- The city will launch a Coney Island Business Improvement District in July with a $1 million budget to boost commercial life.
- Developers have added 1,242 market-rate and affordable apartments near Surf Avenue, spurring new retail opportunities.
- Coney Island’s infrastructure investments since 2009 have aimed to modernize sewers and streets to support growth.
- Supporters say a BID could incentivize retailers to move into Surf and Mermaid Avenues amid new housing.
- Critics worry new development could amount to gentrification, stressing affordable housing needs remain misaligned with retail needs.
- The BID’s aim includes improving Surf and Mermaid Avenues to attract more shoppers and services.
- Tilyou Towers, a proposed 500-unit project, is part of the development that would support the BID’s retail ambitions.
- City incentives include subsidies and bonds to spur housing and retail development.
- The piece references long-standing Coney Island improvements such as Luna Park and Parachute Jump landmarks.
- Local advocates and the Coney Island Alliance are pivotal in pushing for BID formation and investment.
- The author cautions the BID could shift the neighborhood toward middle-class retail and away from existing community needs.
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