Four new skateparks opening in Brooklyn and the Bronx
Mount Prospect Park in Brooklyn via Wikimedia
New York City is working with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to develop four new skateparks in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Mayor Eric Adams during his State of the City address on Wednesday announced a partnership with The Skatepark Project, a nonprofit founded by Hawk, to bring four skateparks in communities lacking access to public recreation spaces. The project is being fast-tracked for completion in just three years. The plan involves renovating two existing skateparks, at Brower Park and Bronx Park, and constructing two new ones, at Mount Prospect Park and Soundview Park.
“One of the key things we identified in our ‘New’ New York report is that high-quality public spaces aren’t a luxury—they’re a necessity. Our partnership with Tony Hawk, The Skatepark Project, and the City Council will help us create four world-class skateparks in Brooklyn and the Bronx,” Adams said.
“These new parks will be able to host major competitions, they’ll boost tourism and the economy, and, most importantly, they’ll give New Yorkers, particularly our young people, a place to get outside, have fun, and express themselves on four wheels.”
Soundview Skatepark will replace a vacant asphalt roller rink in the Bronx’s Soundview Park with a 15,000-square-foot custom skatepark co-designed by professional skater and NYC native Tyshawn Jones. The project is important to Jones, who grew up close to Soundview Park and has called upon city officials to expand the skating infrastructure in his community for years.
The park will feature spectator seating to attract visitors and allow community members to watch as skaters utilize the park.
Located in Allerton, the Bronx Skatepark is a pre-existing space that TSP will work with the community to expand and enhance. The plan includes replacing current steel ramps with modern concrete to improve accessibility, functionality, and capacity, and adding a water fountain to the site.
At the existing skate park in Crown Heights’ Brower Park, TSP will work with the community to redesign the park’s layout and make it more accessible to riders of all skill levels and types.
Planned for Mount Prospect Park, one of the highest points in the borough, the Brooklyn Skate Garden is a proposed 40,000-square-foot skatepark with a sustainable design, security lighting, spectator seating, and community gardens. It’s expected to be one of the largest skateparks on the East Coast.
TSP is working with the Pablo Ramirez Foundation, an organization devoted to the memory of professional skater Pablo Ramirez, to develop the Brooklyn Skate Garden.
“Our dream of creating a visionary Skate Garden in the cultural heart of Brooklyn began in 2019, inspired by Pablo’s life and legacy. Thanks to the generosity of The Skatepark Project and the City of New York, our dream will become a reality in Mount Prospect Park, Brooklyn,” Loren Michelle, executive director of the Pablo Ramirez Foundation, said. “We are thrilled to contribute to the fabric of our city; to provide a haven and a beacon for all skaters; and to provide opportunities to connect and build community.”
In Manhattan, officials announced plans to resurrect the Brooklyn Banks, a mecca of skateboarding under the Brooklyn Bridge for 30 years before closing in 2010. This past spring, the Adams administration reopened “The Arches,” a one-acre public space with basketball, pickleball, shuffleboard, and seating. The Skatepark Project has partnered with the nonprofit group Gotham Park to restore the Brooklyn Banks fully.
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So, right next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a place for contemplating and admiring plants and nature, there’s going to be an enormous skate park? Does anyone else see that this could be a Very Bad Idea?
with no contact with the neighborhood and directly next to a garden and playground. terrible idea.
Would really like to know when the opportunity for public comment on this project occurred. I live across the street. Thanks. What we need is more concrete in a world that is already tipping under global warming. And ya’ll are over looking the HUGE park- Prospect Park- 1 block away. This neighborhood is not unserved in terms of recreational opportunities.
This is horrifying. Who in prospect heights or crown heights asked for this? When were the community meetings or hearings about this? There is a large and thriving community who go to Mount Prospect on a daily basis. Why do we need less green space? Go build it on Atlantic Avenue. Have contacted Crystal Hudson to find out more and how this can be stopped.
Wow. No input from the community. No consideration that we need natural earth, not more cement with these hot summers. Have Prospect Park right next door. Botanical gardens right next door. Talk about stupidity and non-consideration of the folks. OMG
A skatepark in Mt Prospect Park is an horrendous abuse of critical green space in one of New York City’s prime residential neighborhoods. Adjacent to The Brooklyn Museum and contiguous to the Botanical Garden and Public Library….a Skate Park is totally out of context.
What could our politicians be thinking?
This is disgusting. There are hardly any natural spaces left in this city that aren’t getting over run with shadows from tall buildings or torn down to make way for more concrete.
And this is supposed to be made for neighborhoods lacking recreational space ? What is wrong with natural space ? Natural space is more healing for kids and adults. Natural space provides nature that is by far more interesting than any skate park. I do not for the life of me understand why the powers at be want to keep making more and more concrete in this city that has barely and place for respite.
So utterly depressing. It’s all about $$$ that’s all anyone cares about anymore.
A skate park has no place in this tiny park, it is too small to handle the traffic, the noise, the garbage that these end users would create. This is a small oasis for the immediate community and is partnered with the serenity of The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanical Garden and The Brooklyn Public Central Library. None of these institutions will benefit from this skate park. This park is a toddler play-ground and toddler summer camp ground, elderly exercise walking path and dog walking and social gathering. These are enough activities for this tiny, residential, playground/park. Protect park has some much un-used land, that I’m sure the Prospect Park Alliance could carve out a niche for such a skate park.
How exciting! It’s great to see the City looking for ways to provide opportunities for young people to recreate and feel that the City belongs to them, too. The easiest thing in the world is to keep going with the status quo. I appreciate that they are doing this.
This sounds wonderful! We love the park for our dog walks, but it’s clearly under utilized and under appreciated by the city. Bringing our older youth into a safe space and giving them a dedicated place to skate will occupy many for hours at a time. An added benefit will go to nearby stores public spaces where skaters compete with infrastructure and space better used by pedestrians and the lunch crowd
This is outrageous and absolutely out of control. Where is the impact study? Parking, noise, transportation. What this will do the quality of life in our neighborhood will be deleterious to everyone, except the skateboarders. Find a spot that is not in the middle of a residential neighborhood or next to the Botanic Gardens!! FIGHT THIS!
What a beautiful vision for Mount Prospect. It is currently under-utilized and a skatepark will compliment the library and the botanical gardens and the museum.
If you want or need nature and pure green space, walk 400 more feet into Prospect Park.
This is a terrible idea. A skate park next to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden would ruin the peace of the Garden. Also, dogs do not like skateboards and the skate park would agitate them. Mount Prospect Park is a family park. We don’t need a skate park. It wouldn’t bring in anymore tourism or grow the economy it would only bring more people who try to run us down on the sidewalks and within the park. People do not like to get off their skateboards and if you are really keeping the playground the kids are going to get run down by the skateboarders. There’s going to be a lot of accidents and possibly ending in a few deaths before someone realizes how bad an idea this is! This would not improve our lives it will only make it noisier.l and more unsafe.
This is an outrage. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, one of the crown jewels of Brooklyn, borders this park. The BBG is a quiet oasis. It makes zero sense to build a noisy concrete skate park next door. I live in Crystal Hudson’s district – and will now vote for anyone else as a result of this.
I’m embarrassed at my Brooklyn neighbors who have so many negative things to say about this space. Its “horrifying” and a “terrible idea?” It will most likely have zero negative impact on your life while providing a space for kids to use the park/areas for gardening and events. The fake and exaggerated outrage is too much!