Local skaters have fought back against the Parks Department’s attempts to halt skateboarding outside of Borough Hall — pushing aside a low-tech barrier to reclaim their makeshift skatepark.
A week after bureaucratic buzzkills installed a green astroturf barricade at the foot of the Borough Hall steps, rebellious boarders forcibly moved both the tarp and a large planter meant to keep the structure in place.
The plaza outside the Borough President Eric Adams’ office has become a mecca for skaters in recent months — as dozens of shredders gather each evening to grind on the marble staircase.
But city parks bigwigs attempted to finally put an end to the practice, which does long term damage to the iconic downtown building, according to a Borough President spokesman.
“The Parks Department findings show there is clear damage to the landmarked steps and lamp pedestals due to skateboard grinding,” said Jonah Allon.
Reps with the Parks Department did not respond to request for comment about their future plans for the skate-stopping barricade.
In any case, skateboards aren’t the only four-wheeled nuisances that overtake the plaza, as the Borough President’s staff has made a habit of parking their placarded cars in the plaza surrounding the building.
That controversial car-parking scheme lead to heated criticism of the BP from pedestrians that decry the ensuing eye-sore, but Adams — a mayoral candidate — has refused to crack down on the practice until other municipal leaders ban private parking at their city-owned buildings.
