NEW YORK, New York — In a new push to revamp under-utilized infrastructure into a dynamic and inclusive community space, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a $50 million investment on June 5 to further revitalize “The Arches,” a public plaza nestled beneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side.
The announcement, which coincided with the official re-opening of more than two acres of newly refurbished space, marked the most significant return of public land to the local Chinatown and Lower Manhattan communities in over a decade.
Part of what Adams touts as the city’s “Best Budget Ever,” the funding aims to turn the formerly fenced-off and industrial site into a welcoming, active hub of recreation, culture, and relaxation. The effort is also part of the mayor’s broader “We Outside Summer” initiative, which promises to deliver interactive events, investments, and public programs across all five boroughs.
RELATED: ‘From Trauma to Healing’: NYC Health + Hospitals Expands Programs to Combat Gun Violence
A new community space
“Public space in this city is precious — it’s where our families create memories, it’s where our children play, and it’s where communities come to relax,” said Mayor Adams during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We are also investing $50 million in funding to bring this space back to life, and transform it into a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together — welcoming New Yorkers from all walks of life.”
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Named for the 53 towering arches that support the Brooklyn Bridge’s approach into Manhattan, “The Arches” has long been a symbol of both architectural splendor and missed potential. For over 15 years, much of the area was shuttered, serving as a staging site for the bridge’s extensive $1 billion restoration — the most significant overhaul since its completion in 1883.
The newly-opened space will include the striking vaulted archways themselves, along with areas outfitted for community recreation, including pickleball, basketball, shuffleboard, and quiet seating zones. The site also restores a sacred piece of skateboarding history: the “Brooklyn Banks,” once hailed as a global skateboarding mecca, now returned to the public with design input from Gotham Park and Tony Hawk’s “Skatepark Project.”
“The revitalization and re-opening of the Brooklyn Banks is a monumental moment for skateboarding,” said Benjamin Anderson Bashein, CEO of The Skatepark Project. “This historic skate spot is a special place where people from across the world have come to skate and to find community, and we’re thrilled to see it open to the public once again.”
Equity and access for Lower Manhattan
Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth praised the cross-agency collaboration and grassroots support that brought the project to life. “In the shade of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, this project delivers many things — an architectural marvel, a proper home for skating in one of the sport’s global hubs, and a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few,” he said.
RELATED: HPD Hosts Media Roundtable to Tackle NYC’s Housing Challenges, Strengthen Community Ties
The area’s transformation is also seen as a key step toward environmental and economic equity in a neighborhood historically short on accessible green and recreational space. Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu emphasized that “we’re turning concrete into community — a place that will be a respite and gathering place for residents, workers, and visitors alike.”
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez added, “The Lower Manhattan community, and all who visit it each day, can celebrate this special day as we return the space around this beautiful bridge to a neighborhood where public space is so precious.”
This expansion builds on earlier openings at “The Arches” beginning in 2023, bringing the total reclaimed area to more than three acres. With this latest $50 million infusion, the space is set to receive even more enhancements, including improved lighting, native plantings, and expanded public seating.
‘We Outside Summer’ heating up
Gotham Park co-founder and president Rosa Chang called the Brooklyn Bridge “a love letter to New Yorkers, written in stone 142 years ago,” and described the latest phase of the revitalization as a profound civic achievement. “With this new chapter of Gotham Park, we commit to building a welcoming space to gather, share, play, grow, and thrive,” Chang said. “The space itself is a majestic canvas — but we, the people who bring it to life, are the ever-changing art.”
The investment also signals a federal-local partnership to restore civic life to one of the city’s most historically rich but long-neglected corridors. “This vital investment, combined with the federal funding that Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and I helped secure, will play a major role in reconnecting and revitalizing the long-separated communities of Chinatown, Two Bridges, and Lower Manhattan,” said U.S. Representative Dan Goldman.
Local officials echoed similar praise. “The $50 million allocated in Mayor Adams’ FY 2026 Executive Budget for ‘The Arches’ is a transformative investment for Lower Manhattan’s public spaces,” said New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee. “This funding will deliver essential green spaces and sports facilities that will ensure our community has dynamic, accessible places to connect and stay active.”
With the ribbon now cut and new visitors already flocking beneath the Brooklyn bridge’s iconic arches, the project stands as a model of how historic infrastructure can be revamped as spaces rooted in community, culture, and connection.
For more information, including upcoming events and other FAQs, please visit the official site of the city of New York here.
