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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