On November 18, the new Salida Skatepark held its groundbreaking ceremony. The 14,000 square foot park will be built in the southwestern portion of Centennial Park. Community members and those involved in the project gathered to break ground and celebrate this milestone of the project. Valerian LLC worked with Grindline, Salida Parks and Martin/Martin to design the skate park, new park walkways and entry plaza. Valerian and its team worked with Salida Parks to plan the new site while considering the existing stand of trees and future improvements to the area. Grindline is based in Seattle and has built skateparks throughout the west.
Images courtesy of Valerian LLC.
City Administrator Drew Nelson explained his connection to Grindline. “I got to work on a project with them ten years ago; [we] built a skatepark roughly the same size and it’s just an amazing community asset. I had a friend that was visiting and she said her son was saved by the skate park because it was a really awesome activity for him to go do that kept him out of trouble.”
Foreman and Site Superintendent Kevin Lane explained the timeline for the project.
“Ideally a park this size would take us, three to four months to complete. We are heading into winter and that is going to slow down the project a little bit but it’s not necessarily going to halt progress,” said Lane. “So I am hoping in the springtime there will be a brand new skate park for all the kids in Salida to enjoy.”
Image by Brooke Gilmore.
“This is just a great example of a community driven project where a bunch of real passionate folks came to the city and said ‘hey this is something we want to do’ and really went out and did the hard leg work to make it happen,” said Salida Mayor P.T. Wood. “They made it super attractive for the city to be a part of it but also made it pretty easy and exciting for us. A big shout out to Friends of Salida Skatepark; they’ve done an amazing job, so we’re excited to be a part of it.”
Stacy Falk, owner of Salida’s skate shop and youth clubhouse Ramps and Alleys told Ark Valley Voice “I’m super excited for this entire project and I’m very grateful that friends of Salida Skatepark and the city made this happen. I spend a lot of time in the [current] skatepark with a lot of different kids there. It’s a difficult park to learn in so it’s really great to get to have this park where it will accommodate all levels from beginner to advanced.”
“As an owner of the new skate shop we’re really excited to support in any and every way we can,” added Falk. “We just got a Ms. Pac-Man in the house and all the proceeds [from the arcade game] will go to the skate park. Any little way we can help, we’re going to help. We’re located 46 seconds from the new skate park.”
Community members are encouraged to stop and check on the progress of the park throughout the winter. This skatepark marks the beginning of a new chapter for Salida youth and skaters alike.
Featured Image: Friends of Salida Skatepark, public officials, Grindline and Valerian team members gathered to break ground for the new Salida Skatepark being built in Centennial Park. Photo by Brooke Gilmore.
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