Shred zone: City scales back skate park planned for Brooklyn's Mount Prospect

A major new skate park planned for Brooklyn's Mount Prospect Park has been slimmed down in response to opposition from locals who pushed to preserve the greenspace.

The city parks department proposed the so-called Skate Garden in 2024, when then-Mayor Eric Adams announced it would be built through a partnership with legendary pro skater Tony Hawk. A group of park advocates were outraged by the plan to pour concrete over a large section of the park, which is located between the Brooklyn Public Library's main branch and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Parks officials revealed at a town hall meeting Tuesday night that the proposed skate park had shrunk from 44,000 square feet to 19,500 square feet. The $11 million project includes a bowl, ramps and rails — along with lots of shrubbery and gardens.

Still, skaters rejoiced over the newly revealed designs.

Professional inline rollerblader Cameron Card, 44, was one of more than 120 people who attended the meeting. He was among many thrill junkies who said the hobby is a creative outlet that brings kids together and keeps them out of trouble.

“ I grew up with a skate park,” he said. “It took me away from anything else that I was gonna get into as a teenager, and it gave me a pathway to be a professional.”

Card noted there aren’t many skate parks in the five boroughs, limiting the next generation of rippers coming out of the five boroughs.

“ I'm not from New York, but I've heard stories of New York and how hard it is to get skate parks built.  I travel the world for skate parks and New York is behind, very behind,” Card said.

A group called Friends of Mount Prospect Park held a protest outside the meeting, arguing that not a single skate structure should be built in the green space.

Hayley Gorenberg, the group's chair, said that the parks department barreled through community concerns.

“ We want to keep it fully green. We don't want concrete poured on any of it, and we want Mayor [Zohran] Mamdani and the new administration to shift this plan, protect the green space, and shift any concrete construction onto already paved space,” Gorenberg said.

Parks officials pointed out much of the lawn in the park is worn down and prone to flooding. And while the skate park would take away some greenery, officials said the landscaping that comes with the project will help absorb more rainwater.

Opponents still voiced concerns the park would be robbed of its natural solitude, and that pouring concrete is antithetical to both Mamdani and the city's climate goals.

“ I know that when this project is done this will be a better Mount Prospect Park and it will be for everybody,” said Martin Maher, the parks department’s Brooklyn borough commissioner.

Jason Shao, 25, said he came to the meeting after reading about the proposal on social media.

“ I'm just excited to see another project coming to fruition,” he said. “And I hope it turns out as well as the rendering looks.”