Brooklyn Parking Lots, Schoolyards Will Transform Into Flood-Control Sites

NEW YORK, NY— A $95 million stormwater infrastructure project in Homecrest aims to reduce flooding and limit pollution runoff into Coney Island Creek, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city officials announced on Thursday.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection will lead the Cloudburst project, which will install porous pavement on streets and underground storage systems on public land across a 350-acre area.

The system will manage an estimated 30 million gallons of stormwater annually and target flood-prone corridors including Kings Highway and Coney Island Avenue, along with Avenues P through V.

Cloudburst infrastructure is designed to capture and temporarily store stormwater during short, intense rain events before it overwhelms the sewer system.

The City plans to use schoolyards, parking lots, traffic triangles and athletic courts as sites for underground storage tanks in coordination with the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, and New York City Public Schools.

“We are building a city that protects New Yorkers in the places where flooding hits hardest,” Mamdani said. “This project turns everyday public spaces — our schoolyards, streets and parking lots — into infrastructure that keeps our communities safe.”

Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson said the system reflects a broader shift in infrastructure planning.

“Climate change is already here, and our infrastructure must catch up,” she said. “These investments into stormwater management are increasingly critical.”

The project builds on the city’s Cloudburst Management Program, launched in 2023, which has advanced similar work in neighborhoods across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

Officials said they continue to seek additional federal funding to expand the program into other flood-prone areas.