Plans to build the Brooklyn Skate Garden on the hill at Mount Prospect Park have sparked a debate in Prospect Heights, with some residents opposing the project to preserve the area’s open, grassy slope, while skaters and organizers support creating a new public space. Opponents argue the project would replace lawn with pavement, while supporters highlight updated landscaping and skate amenities. The discussion has already led to petitions, a call for an oversight review, and a series of public meetings scheduled for this spring.
Neighbors say the process and site are wrong
Friends of Mount Prospect Park, a local group formed in response to the skate garden plan, say the hill between the Brooklyn Central Library and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is already used for picnics, birthday parties, and other small gatherings and should not be converted into a skate destination, Helen Koh told CBS News New York. Neighbors also contend that local outreach before the site was selected was limited, and they have been pressing elected officials for clearer answers.
Backers pitch a nature-forward 'skate garden'
Supporters, led by the Pablo Ramirez Foundation in partnership with The Skatepark Project, describe the Brooklyn Skate Garden as a hybrid space combining poured-concrete skate features with new trees, native plantings, seating, and programming for all ages. Organizers plan to develop a formal design this spring for a shared community space integrated into the broader park. Backers say a purpose-built facility would provide skaters with safer options and organized activities currently unavailable in the neighborhood.
Size, scope and who pays
Planning documents and reporting place the skateable portion of the project in the tens of thousands of square feet, with a roughly 40,000-square-foot footprint for core skate features, according to Brooklyn Paper. City officials and project representatives say the paved elements would account for under 12 percent of Mount Prospect Park's approximately 340,000-square-foot footprint, leaving room for paths and plantings. Organizers have also said the effort is backed by a mix of city and private funding commitments tied to a broader, multi-site skatepark initiative across the city.
Legal and safety questions
Opponents have pushed the fight into the city's fiscal and legal arenas, delivering a letter to Comptroller Mark Levine this winter that calls for an investigation into sponsorship terms and potential liability linked to the project. The request asks officials to review whether Adopt-a-Park-style agreements adequately protect a park's integrity as well as the city's financial exposure, according to BK Reader. That move follows petitions and public resolutions from local civic organizations urging either a different location or a redesign that preserves more open lawn.
What's next: meetings and a promised design
Community board hearings are scheduled for this spring and are expected to draw a strong turnout from both supporters and critics. A spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office said the city plans to share a world-class design for the skate park with the community this spring. Project partners have said they hope to begin construction in 2027, with completion expected in 2028 if approvals proceed on schedule.
Both neighbors and skaters say they want input on what happens on the hill. The upcoming public meetings will provide the first detailed look at designs and an opportunity for residents to ask the city and project partners questions about how Mount Prospect Park will be developed and used in the future.
