If you’re enjoying the skyline as the subway takes off from Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue one day in the future, the neighborhood’s tall red tower might read, “Will you marry me?”
The city Parks Department announced in a bulletin Friday that it’s looking for a business to manage and maintain the famous Parachute Jump — a ride erected in 1939 for the New York World’s Fair and closed along with the rest of Steeplechase Park in 1964. The agency also wants the same business to renovate the iconic Cyclone, a wooden rollercoaster that’s brought thrillseekers to Coney Island for nearly a century.
As part of their bid, proposers can include plans to make money off of the Parachute, including using the tower to display personal messaging for proposals, birthdays and more. The messages would be subject to approval by the Parks Department — with no “obscene, indecent or profane” or discriminatory messaging allowed. Commercial and advertising language is also prohibited.
While nearly every aspect of the application is subject to the agency’s approval, the proposer can also include plans for new rides, games or other attractions as space permits. It would be a tight squeeze, since the footprint in the proposal is limited to the base of the tower and a small sliver of space near the parking lot adjacent to the Cyclone.
According to the solicitation, the selected bidder can operate snack concessions if they so choose, with maximum price limits set by the Parks Department: a hot dog must be $4 or less, and a can of soda $3 or less. The department also said it prefers menus that include “healthy options,” such as granola bars, fruits, smoothies and more.
The callout comes amid a slew of renovations and improvements in the South Brooklyn neighborhood and amusement park. In late 2025, former Mayor Eric Adams announced a $1 billion makeover for the rickety Riegelmann Boardwalk lining 2.5 miles of the coast. The boardwalk — still laden with loose screws and wobbly wooden planks this season — hasn’t received those renovations yet, but the city’s Economic Development Corporation put out another bid in September for a team to lead the reconstruction and make the roughly 100-year-old structure more climate resilient.
The Parks Department didn’t immediately return a request for comment on the solicitation.
The current operators of the Parachute and Cyclone made more than $2.2 million last year, with a $265,000 annual fee going to the Parks Department, according to the bid.
Central Amusement International, the developer behind Luna Park, currently operates both sites. CAI did not respond to requests for comment about whether they intend to apply for the bid.
When the Parachute Jump operated, visitors would climb the 262-foot tower and plummet back to the earth inside a canvas two-seater attached to a parachute, the bid said. (In 1939, the fare was 40 cents for adults.) But a year after the closure of Steeplechase Park, which housed the Parachute Jump and attractions that have since been demolished, developer Fred Trump — President Donald Trump’s father — bought the park, hoping to rezone it and build high-rise apartments there, the New York Times reported. He was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Parks Department condemned and took back the park in 1969, according to the agency.
The Cyclone has been operating within Luna Park since it was built in 1927. Renovations in the Parks Department callout include repairing and replacing the rollercoaster’s parts as needed.
The agreement with the agency would last for 20 years, according to the bid, which says about 5 million people visit Coney Island every summer.
The application deadline to submit proposals is Nov. 13.
Our nonprofit newsroom relies on donations from readers to sustain our local reporting and keep it free for all New Yorkers. Donate to THE CITY today.
The post Coney Island’s Historic Parachute Jump May Soon Say ‘Happy Birthday’ appeared first on The City Reporter.
