Plans to develop Niagara Falls’ first Skate Park have been steadily moving forward over the last couple months. In March the Niagara Falls City Council approved a $9,000 planning and design contract with Spohn Ranch Skateparks out of California to begin the project’s design. The preferred location chosen through the Community Development department’s outreach sessions is a site in Hyde Park along Hyde Park Boulevard adjacent Sal Maglie Stadium. For years community members have lobbied for a public skate park for the city’s growing number of skaters and the recreational, economic, and social benefits that are related to them.
Now the next milestone is here … The deadline to submit the Tony Hawk Foundation grant application is approaching and the now is the time to amp up last-minute support to help push the application through. Please take a moment to visit the park’s Facebook page & Sign the Online Petition to aid in the efforts to help Niagara Falls’ residents realize this long awaited project.
“We do not have any specific studies on the economic impact of skateparks on communities, but from the feedback we receive from municipal skatepark managers, skateparks do seem to have a positive effect on businesses in the surrounding area. When a skatepark opens, it tends to draw folks from the outlying communities to come bring their kids to the skatepark, do some shopping, maybe have lunch, buy some gas, etc. Skateparks attract patrons to local businesses who might not otherwise be in the area.Skateboarders are tenacious and will go wherever the compelling terrain is. While skateparks with high visibility and ample community interaction are healthier environments, skateparks in challenging locations can often serve to activate an otherwise underutilized space. Their presence displaces less desirable elements that require privacy and can be a steady presence for other visitors that may be reluctant to visit a desolate area.” – Tony Hawk Foundation
Supporters of the project are encouraged to follow the skate park’s Facebook page & sign the Online Petition