Just for fun: This is what a destination skate park would look like on the South tip of the Mud Island River park
In the previous two posts, we have been interviewing Jeff Haley, the project manager for Colorado Springs memorial skate park project. Colorado Springs opened this park in March 2009. It’s the second largest skate park in the country and the city was just ranked number 1 in July 2009 as being the best city in the country for living by Outside online. The goal of these interviews are to educate Memphians in the important role recreation plays in drawing people back to our city. A skate park is one of the coveted facilities that is found within cities that possess some of the highest quality of life rankings.
In part II we asked Jeff about the rationale in choosing their location for their skate park , we looked at how the park was designed and built and finally we discussed how the location of the park opened the activity up to a lot of youth that previously had no access to skateboarding. This is the third and final part of our interview. It’s short and sweet. We look at why skate parks are low cost facilities and end with Jeff’s final advise to any city considering building a premier destination skate park.
Maintenance
AS: One of the big selling points for a concrete park that I have shared with the Memphis City officials is the low cost of maintaining the facility. What’s been your experience?
JH: This has been a big selling point that we have witnessed to be true. We simply leave a few brooms out in the summer and the skateboarders clean the skate areas themselves. In the winter we left out snow shovels and they cleaned the snow too! That is a huge component in budget planning and long term return on investment for the community.
Final thoughts
AS: What type of advice or encouragement would you give a city considering building a skate park as a major attraction/ recreational venue?
JH: Skate parks are the real deal and if you build these parks well you will be doing a huge service to your community. Our new skate park is the most used facility, day in and day out, of all the facilities that we have in the City and that says a lot since we host a large range of activities available to people in our parks system.
AS: Thanks Jeff.
JH: My pleasure.
