Over 9,000 people have signed a petition to save Freedom Plaza, a popular skateboarding space located one block from the White House, after the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) introduced a plan to eliminate and replace the space.

The NCPC announced plans to transform Freedom Plaza by creating a new outdoor venue on Pennsylvania Avenue with park spaces, areas for pop-up venues and fewer driving lanes. Signatories of the petition argued to preserve the historic area, which is a national monument and a site for political protests, civic events and skateboarding. 

Brian Aguilar, owner and founder of Crushed Skate Shop in the Shaw neighborhood, started the petition after hearing about the NCPC’s plans to replace Freedom Plaza.

“They were talking about eliminating and replacing it, and it just seemed so immediate and threatening, just having so much history there,” Aguilar told The Hoya. “I started the petition immediately and just started reaching out to people and trying to strategize how I could get our voices heard.”

The Freedom Plaza was renamed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the site contains a time capsule buried in 1988 that holds his Bible, his clerical robe and recordings of his speeches, as well as a 51-star flag in hopes that Washington, D.C. would become a state. The capsule is set to be unearthed in 2088. 

The renovation of the space presents D.C. with an exciting opportunity for urban modernization, according to NCPC Chair Beth White. 

“All the conversations around where we might be heading in post-COVID-19 urban spaces — the importance of open space, creating inviting outdoor destinations, multi-modal transportation options that focus on people — are all coming to play here,” White said, according to a Feb. 17 NCPC press release. “It’s an opportunity to expand Pennsylvania Avenue as a signature place where we can tell our stories, celebrate and commemorate.”

According to Max Kang (COL ’24), a member of the Georgetown University Skate Club, skate parks like Freedom Plaza are essential cultural spaces.

“Ever since I started skating the way I view the city landscape has changed, because skateboarders redefine and transform public spaces and urban terrain by bringing new life and meaning to city spaces that are otherwise mundane, underutilized, or forgotten,” Kang wrote to The Hoya. “Skateboarders have reimagined Freedom Plaza as a public arena of creation and play, a rebellion against the privatization and policing of so-called ‘public spaces.’”

The renovations on Pennsylvania Avenue will only enhance the public space, the Council of D.C. tweeted March 10.

​​“Freedom Plaza as we know it will be eliminated & replaced with a plaza that’s more welcoming, livable, & people-focused,” the tweet reads. “That’s a good thing. (Though the devil’s in the details, & much public input—especially from locals—is key).”

The NCPC plan will provide opportunities for economic growth in the area where Freedom Plaza currently sits, John Falcicchio, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said in the press release.

“Reimagining Pennsylvania Avenue is critical to attracting people back to downtown DC and sparking economic development opportunities,” Falcicchio said, according to the press release. “From hosting celebrations for new presidents and championship teams to barbecue battles and night markets, Pennsylvania Avenue has the potential to become America’s play area.”

Aguilar said that seeing landmark skateboarding spots around the world remodeled or destroyed serves as a warning sign for Freedom Plaza’s future.

“This is kind of like a nightmare that I kind of saw coming,” Aguilar said. “It’s like a second home for the skateboarders here in the city. I just hope that we can work together with the city to save such a historic place.”

The NCPC reached out to Aguilar in response to his petition to set up a meeting to discuss the potential renovations and plans for Freedom Plaza, Aguilar said.

Aguilar said Freedom Plaza’s significance to the skateboarding community in the District called for immediate action to preserve the history of the space.

“It’s a place of protest. It’s like a national monument,” Aguilar said. “I’ve spent over 20 years going to Freedom Plaza. There’s so much skateboard history. There’s so much history in general there.”