Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a major investment Friday aimed at transforming the urban landscape beneath the Brooklyn Bridge into a revitalized public destination. As part of his Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, Adams announced $50 million in new funding to enhance “The Arches” — the series of public spaces nestled beneath the historic bridge on the Manhattan side, close to City Hall.

The new funding will bring sweeping upgrades to the area, including new seating, improved lighting, greenery, and other landscaping features, all designed to make the space more welcoming and accessible for residents and visitors alike. The initiative is aligned with the city’s broader efforts to reclaim and reinvent underutilized infrastructure for public benefit.

The announcement coincided with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of a newly revitalized section of the site. This milestone officially opens over two additional acres of public space to the Chinatown community — an expansion that builds on the reopening of a previously restored one-acre section. Together, these efforts support Adams’ citywide “We Outside Summer” campaign, an initiative dedicated to fostering dynamic and safe outdoor experiences across New York City.

“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,” Adams said. “Today, we return two more acres of public space back to the local Chinatown community at ‘The Arches,’ giving New Yorkers more outdoor space to exercise, engage with others, and enjoy.”

Originally reopened in phases beginning in 2023, Friday’s unveiling represents the largest and most iconic portion of the site — giving the public access to the dramatic vaulted archways beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, a National Historic Landmark. In recent years, the bridge itself has seen more than $1 billion in restoration and infrastructure upgrades.

Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth, speaking at the event, emphasized the architectural and community significance of the project.

“In the shade of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, this project delivers many things — a proper home for skating in one of the sport’s global hubs, and a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few,” Roth said.

Roth also credited community advocates and nonprofit partners whose years of persistent efforts helped bring the vision to life.

The newly activated space is designed to support a diverse range of uses. From sports such as basketball and pickleball to quiet spots for sitting and socializing, The Arches is intended to serve a broad cross-section of the local population. Notably, the project marks the long-awaited return of the Brooklyn Banks — a legendary skateboarding site that has been revived through a collaborative effort involving Gotham Park and Tony Hawk’s nonprofit, The Skatepark Project.

City officials underscored how crucial the project is for neighborhoods like Chinatown and Lower Manhattan, where high-density development often means limited access to green and open space.

The Arches gets its name from the 53 adjacent archways that support the bridge’s superstructure. For over a decade, the area had been relegated to a staging ground for ongoing bridge maintenance and construction work. Now, it’s being reimagined as a permanent public asset and a cornerstone of the city’s vision for equitable outdoor space distribution.

As New York continues to recover and reshape its public realm post-pandemic, initiatives like The Arches illustrate a renewed commitment to inclusive urban design.

“Public space,” as Mayor Adams said, “is precious.”

Originally reported by Robin MacLennan in Newyork Construction Report.