STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Mayor Eric Adams announced that nearly $30 million of his so-called “Best Budget Ever” will go toward a handful of parks and public spaces across Staten Island.
Adams highlighted the allocation of funds during a press conference at the Staten Island Zoo in West Brighton on Thursday.
“New York is a five-borough city, it’s not just Manhattan-centered,” Adams said. “Each borough is important because the people of this city are important. And under our administration we have always made it clear that we have to catch up when it comes to Staten Island. For far too long they were being denied and we want to make sure we put the resources here. So today’s announcement is just the latest example of this administration’s five-borough concept and mindset.”
Borough President Vito Fossella, center, speaks at an event where Mayor Eric Adams, left, celebrated a $30 million investment into select Staten Island cultural sites and Bloomingdale Park during a visit to the Staten Island Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Luke Peteley)
Adams shared the funding news alongside Borough President Vito Fossella, who publicly thanked the mayor for his service to the city during what may be the mayor’s final visit to the borough in his role.
“And for the last four years — invariably — every time I picked up the phone to say ‘Staten Island needs something,’ Mayor Adams was there for the people of Staten Island,” Fossella said.
Of the $30 million allocation, approximately $8 million will go to the Staten Island Zoo, $6.5 million to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, $6 million to the Staten Island Museum, $5.6 million to a playground at Bloomingdale Park and $3.8 million to the Noble Maritime Collection.
Adams further spoke on what some of this money would specifically go toward.
Mayor Eric Adams, left, celebrated a $30 million investment into select Staten Island cultural sites and Bloomingdale Park during a visit to the Staten Island Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Luke Peteley)
Some of the funds will go toward the reconstruction of the Bloomingdale Park playground, to include new play equipment, new spray showers, fencing, security lights and updated electrical and water utilities.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa explained that the department expects to begin designing the new playground this coming spring following a community-input process in which residents can share their vision for the space. She also noted that the department is ready to begin a renovation project for the park’s basketball courts.
“Bloomingdale Park is an essential place for recreation for Staten Islanders, that is why we are so thrilled to bring these wonderful enhancements for the community,” she added.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa speaks at the event where Mayor Eric Adams celebrated a $30 million investment into select Staten Island cultural sites and Bloomingdale Park during a visit to the Staten Island Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Luke Peteley)
Money going toward the Snug Harbor campus will “modernize” the Staten Island Museum and the Noble Maritime collection with lab classrooms for students and renovated air conditioning, according to Adams.
Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo praised the work of both Fossella and Adams for their efforts in preserving Staten Island culture.
“And I thank all of my colleagues that are here because we have really, really continued to thrive and to expand the visibility of Staten Island, because we know that cultural vibrancy is economic development for this borough,” said Cumbo. “And the more we invest in art and culture, the greater Staten Island will be, the stronger it will be…”
Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo spoke at the event in which Mayor Eric Adams celebrated a $30 million investment into select Staten Island cultural sites and Bloomingdale Park during a visit to the Staten Island Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Luke Peteley)
The allocation to the zoo will predominantly go toward a renovation project focused on the Children’s Center, with the goal of making the area more accessible to special needs children and families, as previously reported.
“It’s a substantial investment for the zoo,“ Kenneth Mitchell, the executive director of the zoo, told the Advance/SILive.com at Thursday’s announcement. “As you know, the Children’s Center was built in 1968, so it’s probably 60 years old almost. So we’re taking this opportunity to redo that and have a sensory educational center that we can incorporate into our educational programs. We serve 20,000 school kids a year, we feel we can pivot that to serving them better.“
Adams shared with the Advance/SILive.com that, of the actions his administration has taken to address the needs of Staten Islanders, he is especially proud of the work he has done with housing developments on the North Shore. Additionally, he took pride in the bipartisan nature of his professional relationship with Fossella to deliver for residents over the years.
“And so, that’s an important chapter in this administration: our ability to reach out across the aisle, come together and just work for working-class families,” Adams said. “We’re just two blue-collar guys that want to help the working-class people of this city, you know? And I’m really proud of that.”