City of Rochester
News Release
(Friday, April 5, 2013) – The City Bureau of Recreation will host a public meeting on Thursday, April 11, to provide an opportunity for the public to view design concepts for the proposed urban skate park in Downtown Rochester. Participants will also be able to learn about potential next steps for the project. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the South Avenue Community Center, 999 South Ave.
“The new urban skate park will be an exciting addition to the Downtown, providing an important new amenity for our young people, young adults and anyone interested in the sport of skateboarding,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “It is always an exciting time when the possibilities begin to take shape and a project of this magnitude begins making tangible progress after so much hard work by its supporters.”
The meeting will showcase conceptual design ideas for the proposed site under the Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge to help the City and park organizers better understand the possibilities and limitations of that location. The site’s 75,000 square feet of available space could mark Rochester’s skatepark as the largest skate park in the country and a destination for the region’s skateboarding community.
With its size and scale, the park is expected to be the preeminent skate park in Western New York, making it a suitable venue for special events and national competitions. The park is envisioned as an urban park space that will also enhance the outdoor recreation experience for for walkers, joggers and cyclist.
The City is working in partnership with Friends of Roc City Skatepark to develop the project. The feasibility study and conceptual designs for the park are being led by local firm Stantec, whose skate park specialists have designed skate parks across the country.
Once the project’s site is confirmed, park organizers will work to raise money for the project with a goal of breaking ground by the summer of 2015.
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News Media: For more information, contact Assistant Director of Recreation Jim Farr at 428-6866.