$2 Million Granted for Brooklyn Bridge Project and What That Means for the Brooklyn Banks

Yahoo

04-03-2025

Big news outta Gotham City as Gotham Park, the nonprofit reopening the iconic Brooklyn Banks space under Manhattan's Brooklyn Bridge, received two million dollars in federal capital funding to help its mission—part of which is the reopening of the skateable Big and Small Brooklyn Banks.
"What a day 🎉celebrating $2 million in federal capital funding for our new public space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. 🎉Gotham Park is so thankful to @senschumer, @senkirstengillibrand and @repdangoldman for their vigorous support to bring this funding to Lower Manhattan. This federal 'Reconnecting Communities' grant will create a legacy public space to reconnect our diverse communities at the foot of one of our nation's most significant landmarks – the Brooklyn Bridge - while catalyzing social, economic, environmental and health benefits for millions of New Yorkers.Many thanks to @nycmayor, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi , our agency partners at @nyc_dot led by Commissioner @ydanis_rodriguez and @nypd, and to our incredible community stakeholders who have supported our grassroots efforts: Gotham Park's Board led by Elizabeth Lewinsohn, @trinitychurchnyc, @theskateparkproject, our Community Boards 1 and 3, our neighbors including NYCHA's Alfred E. Smith Houses, Chinatown, Chatham Green, Southbridge Towers, the South Street Seaport Historic District, @paceuniversity, the Murry Bergtraum Campus, and so many more.Thank you ALL for your commitment to the hard work of building legacy public space to uplift New Yorkers for generations to come!"
If you're old enough to remember skating the Small Banks, this is huge! And if you're too young, trust us, you're going to be stoked when those perfect brick bumps are back.
💻🛹 🛹💻We reached out to NYC miracle worker Steve Rodriguez for what this money means for skateboarding: "The first step is always the most significant. And this funding is an amazing start to refurbishing/transforming the space for skateboarding and general public use. Gotham park (which is a 9-acre space which includes the Small Banks, 9 stair, Big Banks and other areas that were never skated) will require a significant renovation project that will most likely require 100-200 million (remember we're in NYC) to complete.
As far as how this affects the timeline of the Small and Big banks reopening I would say that it does not affect the initial timeline as I believe these funds are for the next stage of the project. So I see it as more as momentum/awareness of the space rather than direct funds to make the current stage happen faster."—Steve Rodriguez
Though this two million does not relate to the opening of The Banks, The Big Banks are still scheduled to open this year, with the Small Banks opening sometime after that.
Please consider donating to gothampark.org, they are the ones maintaining the park and picking up trash—please don't litter when you're down there!