Ann Arbor moves forward on Veterans Park skatepark

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

They're not doing flipkicks in Veterans Memorial Park yet, but supporters are a few kicks closer to rolling in half pipe at a new Ann Arbor Skatepark.

The city has approved a "memo of intent" to build a skatepark in the northwest corner of Veterans Park.

"It's not a completely binding document but it does give us the foundation to start," says Trevor Staples, a spokesman for the group that is working to establish the skatepark.

That group is setting up a fund within the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation so it can raise the money for the park within the next 12-18 months. They're looking at raising $800,000 to $1 million through donations and grants to build the skatepark.

The facility will be about 30,000 square feet of permanent concrete skatepark. It will have a skateplaza and possibly even a full pipe. It will also work with the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission to bring some art into the skatepark as well.

The Ann Arbor Skatepark Committee says the city is undeserved by not counting a skatepark among its varied recreation options (ranging from tennis courts to Frisbee golf). The group also claims a space dedicated to skateboarders will enhance the city's reputation and help keep kids out of trouble.

The group is so confident that a skatepark is needed that it lists 30 reasons why one should be built on its website. Among the more eye-catching are No. 27 "Skateboarding is happening with or without a skatepark" and No. 30 "If a city doesn't have a skatepark, it is a skatepark."

Source: Trevor Staples, spokesman for the Ann Arbor Skatepark
Writer: Jon Zemke