Skate park clears another barrier

By JOEY HOLLEMAN - jholleman@thestate.com

The design and location of the new Owens Field Skate Park approved last week balanced the needs of skaters with the wishes of neighbors upset at the loss of trees during other park projects.

The plan by Wally Hollyday Design features a linear skate park with bulges for bowls and ledges at either end. It would be tucked between the existing baseball field parking area and the forest.

If the skate park is laid out as designed, no trees would have to be cut down, according to city parks planner Damon McDuffie.

The skate park would be only slightly larger than the old one, but it will have more efficient use of space. The concrete surface flows from one bowl or ramp to the next.

“I have heard only good things from the skateboarders,” said Ryan Cockrell, who helped organize Pour It Now, an advocacy group that has raised $6,000 for the skate park. “The designs are better than I could have imagined.”

City Council set aside $30,000 for the design and construction documents, but it hasn’t approved funding for construction.

The cost depends on several factors. It could be going down. With the economic downturn, more contractors are offering low bids simply to get work.

Pour It Now has approached possible corporate sponsors, but they were reluctant to contribute until they had evidence the project really was going to be built, Cockrell said. He plans to contact those corporations again now that plans have been approved.

The old skate park was torn down to make room for a track for school District 1.

With space at a premium at Owens Field, the new skate park will knock out one hole of the disc golf course. Parks officials plan to work with disc golf enthusiasts to reconfigure the course.

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366.