LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville city park is getting a new $95,000 skate spot, designed specifically for street skating.
The 3,500-square-foot concrete park is being built within the existing green space at Breslin Park in the Irish Hill neighborhood. Leaders with the project said a skate spot is different from a traditional, concrete-jungle type skate park.
“The skate community could not be more excited,” said Noah Hulsman, the owner of Home Skate Shop.
The Louisville Parks Foundation worked with the Irish Hill Neighborhood Association and the skate community to develop the plans and raise the funds.
“We want to work with communities to identify the amenities that they want to see in their public parks,” said Brooks Pardue, the Louisville Parks Foundation president and CEO. “Which this is really our first major project under our new strategic plan.”
Skateboarders helped provide feedback on the design for what will and won’t work. And the neighborhood association suggested adding a covered space along with a grill for family picnics.
“It’s great to have something that’s very street-oriented for the skate boarders in the city,” Hulsman said.
He is the third-generation owner of the Home Skate Shop off Bardstown Road. Deeply connected to the local skate community, Hulsman said the Breslin Park project is something they have been wishing for for years.
“The downtown park is great, but only one-third of it is street-oriented obstacles,” he said.
So having ledges, rails and curbs all in one unique park is a dream come true.
The park is being built by the company Hunger Skate Parks out of Bloomington, Indiana. Crews are still working on the finishing touches before the ribbon-cutting next week. The centerpiece is still covered up under a tarp, so it will be a surprise reveal during the ceremony.
The centerpiece embodies the theme of the park, which the foundation believes speaks to the bigger picture of what they strive for. It is an eight-foot tall raindrop with custom mosaic work. The rest of the park is designed to look like it is rippling out from that one rain drop falling down in the center.
“It shows a small drop of water can have large ripple effects on the community,” Pardue said.
The skate spot will cost $95,000, and the covered eating area and grill will cost $20,900. Pardue said the foundation is still looking for $15,000 in donations to cover the project in its entirety. If you would like to contribute, click here.
"It’s been a very gratifying project to see everyone come together and make this happen," Pardue said.
There will be a community event on Saturday to help with landscaping. Anyone is welcome to join from 8:30 a.m. to noon. There will be coffee and treats.
And the ribbon-cutting for the official grand opening of the park will be Thursday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m. Pardue expects this will not be the last skate spot the foundation works on.
“We selected Breslin for this first skate spot," she said. "But we do hope to have more of these throughout the city."
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