Sign the petition: Don’t pave Mount Prospect Park!
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Update, followed by original petition language:
Proponents of this construction have from the outset insisted its footprint would occupy no more than “12 percent” of the park. The CEO of Tony Hawk’s foundation said it would be built on an “unused section” of Mount Prospect Park.
Following advocacy by the Friends of Mount Prospect Park network, on March 3, 2026, New York City Parks disclosed the above design — reduced from 40,000 square feet to approximately 30,000 square feet, and still occupying the center oval "heart of the park." Two-thirds of the above footprint would be concrete/paved hardscape (19,500 square feet, the size of more than four basketball courts), creating a heat island and destroying historic, cooling green living infrastructure.
The design also calls for cutting some trees, and the construction activity and results threatens the park's irreplaceable majestic shade trees, many growing for the better part of a century. The morning after disclosing the design, NYC Parks and climate officials testified at a City Council oversight hearing, where they emphasized the critical importance of protecting the City's mature trees, vital to achieving 90 percent of the City's urban forest canopy goals.
We continue to oppose paving green space and endangering trees, and to advocate for our neighborhood park. As we have from the outset, Friends of Mount Prospect Park urges officials to follow quality urban planning provisions and laws designed to protect New Yorkers’ environmental health, to correct course before permanent damage is done, and to move any concrete construction to already-paved space. Please sign the petition to add your voice. You can also choose to receive occasional updates on advocacy, including actions you can take. Thank you!
Original petition language:
To our elected representatives and agencies:
We are horrified that you are planning to pour concrete to build a 40,000-square-foot skateboard facility over any part of Mount Prospect Park!
The multi-use green space at the heart of our park is used and cherished by our community. People young and old come to Mount Prospect Park to picnic, play soccer and baseball, and enjoy the park with their dogs during off-leash hours.
Yet without seeking input from the Brooklynites from all walks of life who use this park, you have put a plan in motion that could pave as much as 40,000 of the 96,000 square feet of central green space.
Green space is precious in Brooklyn. Our City needs to be more resilient and green. We should preserve and enhance the green space in Mount Prospect Park – not pour concrete on top of it. The plan to site one of the largest skateboard arenas on the East Coast in this neighborhood park is unacceptable. Especially in a borough full of asphalt, there’s no good reason to give up a well-loved park to build a new skateboard complex.
We say NO to paving Mount Prospect Park – and we call on you, our City leaders, for real vision and accountability. We demand you protect all of the green space in Mount Prospect Park!
