NYC skate legend Steve Rodriguez of 5Boro Skateboards has been the middle man in all the negotiations surrounding the Brooklyn Banks’ Big Banks section, acting as the bridge between skaters and the city.
After years of uncertainty and delays, the Big Banks are finally looking like they're on the verge of reopening, though there’s still no official date in sight.
If you've skated through downtown recently, you might've noticed something different when passing the Brooklyn Banks.
The Big Banks section has been undergoing some significant changes, and there’s been a lot of buzz around it.
You may recall back in spring 2020 when the city began removing bricks from the Big Banks, sparking rumors that the iconic spot was done for good.
It had already been fenced off since 2010, and the whole situation created a lot of confusion, especially when the fence collapsed in 2017, briefly allowing skaters to sneak in for a session.
At that time, the city was clear that they weren’t planning to demolish the spot. Fast forward to 2023, and we saw the section near the nine stair reopen as part of a broader plan to bring the entire space back to life.
The goal was to eventually restore the Big Banks and bring back the Small Banks, which have been closed since 2004.
The Big Banks phase is now nearing completion, with a blend of original bricks from the 60s and 70s, alongside some newer additions to the flat surfaces.
The spot is starting to look like its old self again, with the famous thirteen and ten sets still intact, but with a new floor and a few added planters.
Still, there’s no definitive word on when the spot will officially open to the public. According to Rodriguez, who’s been the key figure in all of this, the city is aiming for a reopening “probably this spring.” However, he also made it clear that these timelines can shift after all, this is the city we’re talking about.
As for the Small Banks, those have been a point of frustration for skaters. While the city is moving ahead with restoring the Big Banks, there’s still no firm date on when work will begin on the Small Banks.
Back in the fall, there was a technicality where one contractor had to restore the Small Banks to a non-skateable version from 2004 before any real work could start.
But the hope is that they’ll eventually restore it to the pre-2004, fully skateable version that was a staple of old videos and memories for many skaters.
For now, skaters can only continue to wait and hope for the best. With all the restoration work happening, the Big Banks are getting closer to being fully functional again, but until that official opening day arrives, it’s still a bit of a waiting game.