Parker breaks ground on skate park, tennis complex > About Town > Stories > Parker

RECENT STORIES

Over-the-counter tenant finish permits available ( Douglas County )
Hilbert elected to lead Front Range counties ( Douglas County )
Parker Police:Trip to hospital leads to arrest ( YourHub.com )
Hawks soar in National Football Championship ( Susan Brazell )
Kids’ holiday garage sale offers bargains ( Amy Tartaglia Johns )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Parker \\ Stories \\ News \\ About Town

Parker breaks ground on skate park, tennis complex

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Erin Feese/YourHub.com on 7/24/2008

Bulldozers roared in the background as a group of about 30 town officials and community members gathered July 24 to break ground on Rail Bender Park, 10543 Twenty Mile Road, Parker.

"This will be another jewel in our recreation campus in this downtown area," said Jim Cleveland, parks and recreation director. "It will diversify the recreational opportunities for citizens."

The skate and tennis complex will feature a 35,000-square-foot skate park, six tennis courts and a playground. The skate park and courts will be lighted for nighttime activity.

Parker's current skate park, located in Challenger Regional Park, 17301 E. Lincoln Ave., is undersized for the current population, and the town desperately needs new tennis courts, Cleveland said.

He said the town plans to have the park open by late October or early November.

"This is a park for all age groups," Cleveland said. "It is designed to accommodate events like teen concerts, so we will explore those possibilities as time goes on."

Another asset the park will have is its direct connection to the Cherry Creek Regional Trail, so kids won't have to use street routes for access, said town council member Gary Lasater.

"I have two boys, and as a parent, you always have the concern when they are out riding their bikes and someone may not be paying attention," he said.

The local skateboarding community is excited for the project, said Blaine Wilkins, owner of 8 Track Ride, a skate shop located at 16524 Keystone Blvd. in Parker. He said the community had a lot of input on the park's design through public meetings, and then the experts rounded out the plan with their finishing touches.

"This park is designed by the right people and built by the right people," Wilkins said. Rail Bender Park will be larger and more conducive to skating than the current skate park, he said.

The two major designers of Rail Bender are Site Design Group and California Skateparks, two companies that specialize in skate park design.

Ryan Podschwit, who works for California Skateparks, said it is nice for him to work on a park close to home. The Castle Rock resident travels around the country working on skate park projects. He said he skates at the Castle Rock skate park in Metzler Ranch Community Park, but "that one doesn't compare" to Rail Bender.

Rail Bender is designed to appeal to a variety of skaters, with a large plaza area as well as a bowl for bowl riders, Podschwit said.

"I'm 34, and (skaters my age) tend to appreciate the bowls, while the young kids love to ride stairs and other stuff on the plaza," he said.

In Highlands Ranch, the skate park at Redstone Park, 3280 Redstone Park Circle, draws hundreds of kids a day, said Tom Hoby, director of parks, recreation and open space for the Metro District of Highlands Ranch.

The skate park, which opened in 2001, has features such as bowls and ramps to appeal to skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX bikers alike, Hoby said. As with the process for Rail Bender Park, local kids had input on the design.

Community skate parks provide a place for kids and young adults to partake skating or riding, rather than being chased out of shopping centers or other locations for skating there, Hoby said.

"Skate parks are a place for them to bond and share an activity they are passionate about," he said.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story

Current Rating

Based on 2 user ratings.

Talk Back : submit comments to the story

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Thank you! Your comment has been updated.

SAVE AND SHARE THIS STORY

STORY RSS FEEDS

All stories

All stories in Parker

All stories by Erin Feese

WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?

Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyone what events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

Loading Ad