We, the undersigned, call on New York City and New York State leaders to oppose the proposed casino development in Coney Island and instead invest in a true, community-driven revival that protects the historic character, cultural soul, and public land of this iconic neighborhood.

🧨 The Threat

A $3 billion casino resort is being proposed for Surf Avenue in Coney Island, promising year-round business and economic opportunity. But casinos don’t build strong communities—they exploit them.

If this plan moves forward, Coney Island risks becoming yet another privatized playground for the wealthy—pushing out the very families, artists, workers, and small businesses that made it legendary in the first place.

The Reality

Coney Island doesn’t need a casino to thrive year-round. It needs:

 • Support for independent, diverse small businesses

 • Cultural programming and events all year long

 • Transparent and equitable access to public land

 • Investment in unique, creative small businesses, not corporate control

Coney Island has always been a place where working-class New Yorkers could find joy, connection, and a sense of belonging. It’s not just a destination—it’s a symbol of inclusive, people-powered magic. That soul is now in danger.

Our Vision: A Year-Round Coney, Powered by Community

Instead of a casino, we call for:

 • A Coney Island Small Business & Artist District on City owned land, prioritizing local entrepreneurs, especially women- and minority-owned businesses

 • Year-round, city-supported festivals, markets, performance spaces, and family programming especially on City owned land.

 • A reformed EDC lease model for this City owned land that values diversity, transparency, and community input over consolidation and exclusivity

Let’s revive Coney Island the way it was built in the first place: by dreamers, not developers. By neighbors, not monopolies.

We Demand:

 1. Immediate rejection of the Coney Island casino proposal

 2. A moratorium on further corporate expansion on City-owned Coney Island land

 3. A public review of lease agreements, revenue-sharing models, and community impact on the City owned land controlled by the EDC

 4. Investment in an inclusive, small business-based year-round economic strategy to restore the soul of Coney Island and build a thriving year round economy. 

🖊 Sign the Petition to Demand a Future for Coney Island that Belongs to the People.

Let’s Save Coney Island—not just from a casino, but from becoming a corporate shell of itself.