Words by Jeff Haber

At the beginning of 2024, Mayor Eric Adams announced he would be "reimagining the urban experience for all New Yorkers…[which included] a plan to build and refurbish four major skateparks right here in the Bronx and in Brooklyn," using a budget of $24.8 million.

Among the proposed skatepark projects, the Brooklyn Skate Garden (BSG) in Mount Prospect Park has received the most attention. The park will be the largest in the borough at approximately 40,000 square feet and Tony Hawk's The Skatepark Project is acting as a design consultant. The BSG concept was developed by Loren Michelle in 2019, after her son Pablo Ramirez had a fatal collision with a dump truck while riding his skateboard in San Francisco. Michelle is the founder of the Pablo Ramirez Foundation, a community-building organization that works with nonprofits to facilitate skateboarding, art, music projects, and events.

Since the Mayor's announcement in January, nearly all of the media coverage regarding the proposed BSG has focused on the nearby community's opposition to the project. Some in the community feel that building a skatepark in Mount Prospect Park will diminish the already scarce amount of green space in the neighborhood. They are also dissatisfied with what they believe to be Council Member Crystal Hudson's failure to include the community in the decision-making process. The headlines covering the subject used language like "Nightmare," "Shocking," "A Fight," "Neighborhood Outraged," and "Battle Lines Drawn."

Leading the naysayers is Friends of Mount Prospect Park (FOMP), an organization formed for the express purpose of voicing opposition to the BSG. The site prompts users to sign their petition addressed to elected representatives and agencies, and states:

We are horrified that you are planning to pour concrete to build a 40,000-square-foot skateboard facility over any part of Mount Prospect Park!

Green space is precious in Brooklyn. Our City needs to be more resilient and green. We should preserve and enhance the green space in Mount Prospect Park – not pour concrete on top of it. The plan to site one of the largest skateboard arenas on the East Coast in this neighborhood park is unacceptable. Especially in a borough full of asphalt, there’s no good reason to give up a well-loved park to build a new skateboard complex.

FOMP co-chairs Hayley Gorenberg and Benjamin Lowe have gone on record in multiple media outlets to share their concerns. Lowe said, "Is it a public space or a commercial space? There are a lot of different places this skate park could go where we would be enhancing green space and not taking it away from our community." While Gorenberg has been more vocal, claiming "pouring concrete is Stone Age," "you would have to be living under a rock if you think paving over green space is leadership," and "it is our green space and it is well loved and it is well used. It is rare…and we don't want any of it paved."

Gorenberg and other members of FOMP even gathered to protest outside Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen's "Darkslides and Secret Tapes" talking event at the Beacon Theater in early April. The very small gathering sang a chant to the tune of Old MacDonald, which went, "Tony Hawk can save our park, save our green space now! Skatepark Project holds the key, stop the paving now! With your lobbyists here and your PR firm there, use your fame, change the game, show us you're a hero!"

As I read the media coverage, I assumed that this was just another classic case of NIMBYism by older folks who simply don't want skateboarders gathering in their wealth-protected neighborhood. Perhaps supported by the ignorance such demographics tend to have when it comes to understanding how beneficial skateparks can be for community building and even crime reduction. Not to mention, skaters are going to skate - the NIMBYs might rather have the majority of them concentrated in a skatepark, instead of shredding the cellar door outside their home. But I didn't want to let that assumption and the associated anger it triggered tell the whole story for me.

The media, as it does, has honed in on the negative. However, there are those involved who actually do support the BSG. Among them, Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Council Member Hudson, Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Martin Maher, and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. These voices of positivity didn't really get the same amplification, and yet, they are the ones who purportedly represent the community at the political level. Their support may also be motivated by whatever slice of the $24.8 million they'll get if the project is successful.

To be fair, the opposition and FOMP have a point about the poor communication by the Mayor's Office insofar as releasing information on the BSG. It wasn't until April 30th that a press release was issued with the details of the four-skatepark revitalization effort. On the BSG, it said:

The Brooklyn Skate Garden will deliver a revitalized Mount Prospect Park, with new trees and native plantings surrounding and elevating contextual skate infrastructure seated in the middle of the cultural hub of Brooklyn, including near the Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and farmer's market, as well as close to multiple bus and subway lines. The skate garden will ensure that Mount Prospect Park can be used in all the ways it is today — for picnicking, dog walking, and more, as well as be utilized as a cultural home for wheeled sports in Brooklyn. It will deliver more and better seating, wayfinding, and public space for all New Yorkers. The first community input meeting for the Brooklyn Skate Garden will take place online tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1st at 6:00 PM.

I attended the community input meeting to gain insight into where the community actually stands, both from the skater and non-skater perspective. Here's what happened…

Commissioner Maher began the meeting by saying its intention was to gather data that will be used to inform the design team. He encouraged attendees to share their thoughts and concerns, but noted, "We're not debating tonight. The site is chosen. This is the site that it's going to be."

He then broke down the considerations of the Parks Department:

The Neighborhood Context

There are no skateparks within a 5-10 minute walk from Mount Prospect Park.
The closest skateparks are Brower Skatepark in Crown Heights, Golconda Skatepark just southeast of DUMBO, and Washington Park Skatepark in Park Slope.

Stormwater Management
Heat Mitigation
Tree Preservation
Accessibility/Inclusive Design
Welcoming Pathways

Overall, Maher said the Parks Dept. aims to have increased areas for retaining water, a tree canopy and protection of the critical root zone, and healthy plant life. He made it clear that the Skatepark Project is offering design services to the Parks Dept. absolutely for free, and that these agencies are working with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to fully realize the BSG.

Alec Beck, professional skater and Associate Director of Advocacy & Public Engagement at the Skatepark Project said he's eager to get feedback on skate elements, green elements, the noise of the space, and walking paths. Beck clarified that the project is not to build a "normal skatepark," but a "skate garden - a more green type of skatepark that's tastefully integrated into the existing space."

The more than 200 attendees were then split into break out rooms on the Zoom call. I was placed with Andre Taylor, Programs Coordinator at the Skatepark Project, several members of the Parks Dept., and five skaters and non-skaters from the community. Our discussion lasted for nearly three hours. Each of the participants spoke when they felt compelled to and for varying lengths of time. As the meeting progressed, the dialogue and exchange of ideas and opinions developed a natural sort of flow. What follows is a summary of each participant's input:

Lisa was excited about the BSG and wished it were around when her son started skating. As a member of Community Board 8, she would be happy to support the skatepark, but wanted to know exactly where it will be and how the design will balance all the different uses of the whole park, such as dog walking.

Lynn, a dog owner and former public school teacher, advocated for what non-skaters might want, including seating, shady tree space, working water fountains, proper maintenance, and a plan to counteract unwanted graffiti. "If attention can be given to the rest of the park [aside from the skatepark] this would be great." She also asked if the park will be made of pervious concrete, which is permeable enough for water to pass through.

Jim wasn't sure how to provide input due to the absence of an initial design. He's worried the skatepark will change the nature of "our neighborhood park," but clarified that he's not against skateboarding per se. He asked a laser-focused question that struck everyone as profound. "Are we going to have a skatepark with green space around it, or a green space with a skatepark in it?"

Kate was upset that the community "had no input as to the fact that it is being placed in our front yard." She would like the project to meet the healthy needs of skaters without disturbing or endangering the residents in the area. Her husband described the announcement of the skatepark as "Pearl Harbor 2024."

Joshua would appreciate a small to medium sized bowl, and if possible, to incorporate the green space into skatepark features without destroying what currently exists. His son, Pablo, suggested that elements of Canarsie Skatepark and Cooper Skatepark might be used as inspiration, and said he'd like obstacles that cater to different skill levels and encourage gradual progression.

Emrys, who wrote an op-ed published in Brooklyn Paper in support of the BSG, would like to see a multi-use design with skateable sculptures, similar to the mockups created by Skate Ecosystems.

Another skater with the Zoom name Codify est92 wanted plentiful trees, seating, and elements that allow for learning and enjoyment, instead of bigger, crazier terrain.

As for my input, I emphasized my desire for transition obstacles, like a moderately sized flow bowl or pool with a little bit of vert, because that style of skating is not a huge part of the NYC scene.

Some notes on the logistics, according to Taylor of the Skatepark Project and members of the Parks Dept:

Timeline

The design process takes 12-18 months, procurement another 12 months, and then construction will begin. This project could take three years to complete or longer if permitting and stormwater complications arise.

Design

In three to six months, the Parks Dept. will present the initial design to Community Board 8, which will write the ultimate letter of approval, including any amendments.

Facility, Lighting, Noise, Seating

The BSG will be an all wheel skatepark, not meant for competitions.
The lighting will not flood beyond the skate space.
The concrete selected will reduce wheel noise.
The seating will not be large-scale.

Maintenance

There's no current plan for how the skatepark will be maintained.

On the crucial matter of construction, the firm selected to build the park will not be a general contractor. This decision is to prevent the results from being subpar, as seen in the recently-completed Flow Skatepark on the Queens side of the Kosciuszko Bridge, where odd proportions and positioning of the elements makes the skate-user-experience awkward. Unsurprisingly, that park was designed and constructed by Dreamland Skateparks in collaboration with DeFoe Corp., a general contractor - the same team that completed the widely-criticized and underutilized Sarge's Skatepark just across Newtown Creek in Brooklyn.

What I couldn't help wondering was, how green is an open space that's basically a dirt patch soaked in dog urine? Has this pissy, dirty meadow undergone any previous transformations? I ask these questions because when I hear anyone describe a piece of land in NYC as "green" I'm a bit skeptical about the depth of that assertion. Is Mount Prospect Park an untouched piece of pre-European Brooklyn with ancient trees and sacred meaning? Not quite.

In 1856, the then City of Brooklyn built a reservoir at the top of Prospect Hill in Mount Prospect Square, which was 3.5 acres big and 20 feet deep, with a capacity to hold 20 million gallons of water. It was connected to the system that included the larger Ridgewood Reservoir, and the water was supplied by Brooklyn Water Works located in Freeport, Long Island.

In 1859, funding for a new park was authorized and James S.T. Stranahan, President of the Brooklyn Board of Commissioners, decided to build it around Prospect Hill because of the views and the assurance that the watershed near the reservoir would be clean. Stranahan wanted to urbanize Brooklyn, construct an incredible piece of landscape architecture to rival Central Park in Manhattan, and attract affluent folks to the area.

Egbert Viele, who came up with an early design for Central Park before Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux created the final one in 1858, designed 'Mount Prospect Park' - the first name for what would become Prospect Park. In 1865, Stranahan recruited Vaux to improve Viele's design. Vaux didn't like the idea of Flatbush Avenue cutting through the park, so he suggested purchasing land to the south, and Olmsted was brought in to see the project to completion.

In 1891, a 230-foot Gothic-style tower designed by architects Henry W. Thayer and William J. Wallace was built next to the reservoir to increase the water pressure. The tower was made of pale Connecticut pink granite and had a stairway that led to the top, where one could see an immense and awe-inspiring view of Brooklyn, the Atlantic Ocean, Staten Island, New Jersey, the New York Bay, Manhattan, the East River, and the Navy Yard.

About 45 years later in 1936, a 20-mile water tunnel was completed connecting Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers to Brooklyn, making the reservoir and tower atop Mount Prospect no longer necessary. The land was transferred to the Parks Dept., which decided to fill in the reservoir and create a circular lawn with walking paths and trees, as well as a playground. The tower, meanwhile, was demolished to enable the completion of the Brooklyn Central Library. A notice was published in the Brooklyn Eagle informing the public that they could take any quantity of the pink granite at no cost.

…

As I absorbed all of this information, I shifted away from assuming that the reason for the opposition to the BSG is classic ignorant NIMBYism. Plus, the ever-changing use of Mount Prospect Park is part of its legacy. Seeing it turn from a reservoir with a giant tower to a park and now to a park with a skatepark inside of it doesn't represent keeping something the way it is, as much as it does the way it always will be - in flux, just like the rest of NYC.

As far as the BSG goes, I believe the neighborhood opposition will make the skatepark better. If it were to have been completely embraced by everyone from the outset, there would be less input from skaters, less specificity, and too much power granted to the design and construction team, which could result in an expensive skatepark that won't be used to its full potential. I'm hopeful that won't be the case here.

The Brooklyn Skate Garden: Skatepark With Green Space or Green Space With A Skatepark?