Two new skateparks are coming to Brooklyn as part of a partnership between the city and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk’s nonprofit The Skatepark Project (TSP).
The Skatepark Project’s mission is to build skateparks for youths in underserved neighborhoods across the United States. Last year, TSP developed Gotham Park, under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, and reopened Brooklyn Banks, one of the city’s most iconic skateboarding spots since the 1970s.
TSP has announced two new skateparks in Brooklyn, and two more in the Bronx. This public-private project is backed by Mayor Eric Adam’s office, City Council members, Borough Presidents of Brooklyn and the Bronx, the Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Economic Development Corporation. The $24 million three-year initiative is being fast-tracked in order to open up the parks for skateboarding, scooters, BMX, in-line skating, roller skating, and wheelchair motocross by 2027.
“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,” said Mayor Adams.
The Brooklyn Skate Garden is planned for Mount Prospect Park, adjacent to Brooklyn’s Central Library. It will be a 40,000-square-foot custom poured-in-place concrete skatepark with security lighting, spectator seating, community gardens, and space for programming. The park will be dedicated to the late professional skater Pablo Ramirez, and The Skatepark Project is partnering with the Pablo Ramirez Foundation in the design process. More details and concept images can be found here.
Another Brooklyn skatepark will be renovated in Crown Heights. The existing Brower Park skatepark (pictured below) is being redesigned by TSP to be more accessible for all skill levels and skating activities.
Both projects are being advocated by each district’s city council members. The Skatepark Project plans to publicly gather community feedback before designs and plans are finalized. Council members say that Mount Prospect Park will remain open throughout construction.
The plan for the Brooklyn Skate Garden has been met with some local resistance, including from the neighborhood group Friends of Mount Prospect Park. Learn more here.
A third new skatepark could be coming to Columbus Park, the plaza at the foot of Brooklyn Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn. Already a popular spot for for skateboarders, there is the possibility of designing a new skatepark in the space; read more here. The project is still very early in the brainstorming phase, and the community has been asked weigh in and share their own ideas for the park. RSVP here for a public meeting at Borough Hall on Monday, February 26, from 6-8pm.
