Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project will team up with NYC non-profit Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan to build a new park under the Brooklyn Bridge, reports Hype Beast. The development will bring back the legacy skate spot at Brooklyn Banks.
“For most of my life, skateboarding has been my home and community. Skateboarding brings people together, creating long-lasting friendships, builds determination and confidence, and all while promoting a healthy lifestyle,” Tony Hawk said.
“We want to help provide a place for that sense of community and support at the Banks for people of all ages. The local community deserves to have a safe, designated skate space that provides a sense of belonging. It’s an honor to join our partners on this project and we’ll help however we can until it gets finished.”
The announcement of the new park space came quickly after Mayor Adams' State of the City address, in which he shared his ongoing commitment to turn empty city lots into green spaces and open play spaces. In opening up access to safe outdoor recreation for nearly 50,000 New Yorkers, the park is currently projected to have more than 7.5 million annual visitors with an expected 3,300 permanent jobs to be created upon its completion.
“The Skatepark Project’s commitment to helping our low-income communities of color have access to healthy recreation space has been a game-changer, and we are so thankful for their support,” said Rosa Chang, co-founder and president of Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan.
“Three years into a pandemic, Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan has reimagined these desolate blocks into a community park for people of all ages and abilities, and we are grateful that the City and State support our vision.”
Since its inception, The Skatepark Project has been helping underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth and in the spring of this year, the first phase of construction is expected to begin. Locals should expect to see the reconstruction of basketball courts, which will help provide community members with a long-overdue recreational space.
“Brooklyn Banks holds almost a hallowed place in the legacy of not only New York City’s contribution to skater culture but for skaters across the nation and world as well,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said.
“It’s imperative that we preserve and continue this legacy."
