Next Phase of “The Arches” New Inviting Public Space on Manhattan Side of Brooklyn Bridge Opened

Public space in The Arches opening today. Credit: NYC DOT

Opening TODAY, Newest Neighborhood Amenity Adds Nearly 15,000 Square Feet of Public Space, Offering Residents and Tourists Easy Access, Park Benches, and Shade Trees

Area Had Been Closed for More Than a Decade as Part of Major Restoration and Cleaning of Brooklyn Bridge, Now Nearing Completion

More public space on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge has opened today. Earlier sections of that public space, collectively known as “The Arches,” which serve to physically connect the Bridge to Chinatown, were opened last year to honor the 140th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge’s opening.

The area opening today had served as a contractor staging area for the last decade, supporting restoration for the Brooklyn Bridge, projects which have together totaled more than $1 billion in investment. The newest “Arches” space returns 1/3-acre of space to the community – with access to more than a dozen tall shade trees, including oaks, elms, and Japanese pagoda trees. Sixteen park benches, many with views of the adjacent historic bridge, have also been restored and installed around the space, bounded by Park Row on the north and Rose Street to the south.

In May 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the opening of The Arches as well as the revitalization of public space near the Brooklyn Bridge and in Chinatown, next to the “Brooklyn Banks” site, once known as the “mecca of New York skateboarding.” The Arches honors this history with a revitalized skate space designed in partnership with Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project (TSP). The Administration continues to work closely with TSP to ensure all materials and design features of the park meet the safety, wellness, and performance needs of the action sports community ensuring that the site’s historic legacy continues for years to come. Additionally, the new one acre of space opened with facilities for basketball, pickleball, and shuffleboard, along with publicly available seating — all directly adjacent to the 53 historic arches on the north side of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

The largest sections of the Arches area have yet to be re-opened – and NYC DOT has begun a local engagement process, which includes community board meetings and visioning sessions to be held before the end of this year. In September, the agency also applied to US DOT seeking a federal grant to fund the next sections of the Arches project under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot, created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That pilot specifically targets projects designed to “reinstitute community connectivity.” The agency awaits a decision on an award. 

About the Brooklyn Bridge 

An American icon, the Brooklyn Bridge’s construction began in January 1869. When it opened on May 24, 1883, the bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world and the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. The bridge’s grand opening was met with great fanfare, including President Chester A. Arthur attending the festivities. The bridge, which originally included trolley service, today accommodates vehicle traffic, a pedestrian walkway, and dedicated bike lanes added in 2021. An estimated 120,000 vehicles, 30,000 pedestrians, and 4,000 cyclists use the bridge each day. 

Made of limestone, granite, brick, steel, and concrete, the bridge’s recent restoration featured meticulous cleaning of every individual stone and brick. The mortar used to hold the stones together in the restoration was sourced from the same upstate New York quarry as the original mortar. After decades of maintaining a brown appearance from generations of dirt, grime, and pollution, the deep clean restored the bridge’s towers to their original gray color.