Brooklyn Banks Skatepark Temp Check

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We are seeking funding to revitalize the Brooklyn Banks, providing quality outdoor recreational spaces for local youth, as the first stage of the Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan project. With a broad coalition of community support, we will unlock the potential of the forgotten spaces under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge to create a new type of urban community park that nurtures connection, curiosity, wonder, and resilience.

Designed in 1972 by renowned architect M.Paul Friedberg, the park space on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge had all the subtle elements of the idyllic urban park space. But it was New York’s large skateboarding and BMX scene that quickly realized the hidden potential of the smooth riding surface, angled banks, ledges, stairs and railings. Since the early 1980’s, this unintended skatepark supported thousands of New Yorkers as a suitable place to participate in what are now Olympic Sports, at a time when there were no legal places to ride. From 1972 to its closing in 2010, the Brooklyn Banks skatepark provided a home away from home for pro-skaters and young beginners alike. The interplay between age, race, and class made the Banks a hub of culture and creativity.

Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan revitalization will be a public/private partnership park modeled after the immensely successful Highline. Private funds will support design, construction and ongoing operations including maintenance and programming, supplementing public investment.