Nonprofit Seeks Revival of Historic Brooklyn Banks Skatepark

The storied Brooklyn Banks skate spot – an unofficial New York City landmark beneath the Brooklyn Bridge – “temporarily” shuttered in 2010. Now, twelve years later, a local nonprofit is looking to revive the skatepark as part of a larger park beautification project.

Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan aims to reactivate and reunite the pockets of open space bisected by the span after more than a decade behind the fence. Indeed, more than nine acres of public space is locked; area that Brooklyn Bridge hopes to liberate.

“We suffer under the triple burdens of the Brooklyn Bridge, FDR Drive and the fortification around 1 Police Plaza,” the literature reads. “The combination of all three is an unfair burden our communities have borne for too long. What was once public space has been fenced off for over a decade, and is planned to be closed for another 10-15 years.”

The overall goal is split into three proposed phases, with the Brooklyn Banks part of the first.

The community group is presenting to area Community Boards for support, including CB3 tonight.

For decades, the Brooklyn Banks was a go-to skatepark for generations of area skaters. However, it almost became a parking lot in 2005, until 5Boro honcho Steve Rodriguez and other advocates convinced the city to finally sanction the sport and even install obstacles onsite. Five years later, though, in 2010, the entire park was closed due to planned bridge repair work. Thereafter, Brooklyn Banks became a guarded staging area. The work was supposed to end in 2014, but that year came and went and there is still no end in sight.

Yet, that hasn’t stopped a steady flow of thrill-seeking skateboarders in the interim period. Neither has the permanent police presence.