News Release

Gateway Awards Lease to Riis Beach Collective

Date: May 16, 2022
Contact: Daphne Yun, [phone]

Queens, N.Y. – The National Park Service has selected Riis Beach Collective (RBC) for a seven-year lease for use of facilities at Jacob Riis Park. Riis Beach Collective was one of several applicants that submitted proposals in response to a recent Request for Proposals.

“Riis Beach Collective is honored to have been given this opportunity at Jacob Riis Park,” said Mike Reen, managing member of Riis Beach Collective. “Our team consists of Rockaway and NYC locals who share a lifelong love of and connection to Riis. Our goal is to work hand in hand with the National Park Service to create a beach oasis that encapsulates everything that NYC is, and honors what the “People’s Beach” stands for.”

“We look forward to working together with Riis Beach Collective to enhance services and offer visitors a premier New York experience in a quintessential Rockaway way,” said Jen Nersesian, superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area.Riis Beach Collective should be open before the July 4 weekend.

About Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway is a large diverse urban park with 27,000 acres spanning Sandy Hook in N.J. and Jamaica Bay and Staten Island in N.Y. It offers green spaces, beaches, wildlife and outdoor recreation, all alongside historic structures and cultural landscapes. It is the 4^th most visited National Park Service unit with more than 9.2 million annual visitors. For more information about Gateway, visit www.nps.gov/gate.