A large public space beneath the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge has reopened after 15 years, featuring new amenities including the legendary “Brooklyn Banks” skateboarding area.
Known as “The Arches” for the 53 vaulted arches under the historic bridge, the two-acre site officially reopened Thursday. The Brooklyn Banks skate spot was closed in 2010 to serve as a contractor staging area during bridge restoration.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth called the project “an architectural marvel” and “a proper home for skating in one of the sport’s global hubs,” adding that it also offers “a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few.”
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration began revitalizing the Chinatown-adjacent area in 2023. The renovation introduced spaces for shuffleboard, basketball, pickleball, and seating, while reopening access to the landmarked vaulted arches under the bridge.
Tony Hawk’s nonprofit, Skatepark Project, had long advocated for the return of the Brooklyn Banks as part of the renovation. Project CEO Benjamin Anderson Bashein described the site as an “icon of skating around the world.”
“To have it reopened is absolutely profound,” Bashein said. “This historic skate spot is a special place where people from across the world have come to skate and find community. We’re thrilled to see it open to the public once again.”
The Adams administration has earmarked an additional $50 million in the 2026 budget for further improvements to The Arches. This includes public seating, plantings, lighting, and more, as part of the “We Outside Summer” investment and programming initiative.
Thursday’s reopening is the largest plaza segment to reopen under the ongoing phased renovation, which also includes Gotham Park, a planned nine-acre urban community space around the Brooklyn Bridge.
Mayor Adams said the new investment will “bring this space back to life” and transform it into “a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together.”
He added, “Right in time for our ‘We Outside Summer,’ The Arches brings us closer to creating a more equitable, livable, and prosperous New York.”