Philadelphia skatepark ground-breaking next spring
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 11:50am EDT Peter Van Allen
A skate dude rolls along the Schuylkill Banks.
A long-delayed skateboard park planned for an area near the
Philadelphia Museum of Art will break ground in spring 2012, organizers and the city said Wednesday.
Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, the nonprofit raising money for Paine’s Park, received $1 million from the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department, helping green light the $4.5 million project, organizers said. The commitment calls for releasing $500,000 this year and the balance over two years, said Parks and Recreation Commissioner
Michael DiBerardinis.
Paine’s Park will be on 2.5 acres near the Schuylkill Banks bike path, situated between Eakins Oval and the Schuylkill River. It will be free and open to the public.
“The City of Philadelphia is committed to increasing recreational opportunities and public green space for residents and visitors,” said Mayor
Michael Nutter. “Paine’s Park will not only enhance the landscape around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, it will become a destination.”
With this donation, the project has the necessary $4.5 million to move forward. Organizers will continue to raise money for an endowment and ongoing maintenance.
The Paine’s Park project has been in the works for more than five years — dating to former Mayor John F. Street’s designation of land for the skatepark in lieu of skateboarders riding in LOVE Park. The effort was delayed by a funding shortfall and the recession.
This donation put the project in motion.
“The continued support from the city is a testament to the impact that we believe Paine’s Park will have on the region,” said
Claire Laver, executive director of the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund. “We’re preparing to re-engage our architects and engineers to finalize the plans and specs, secure all necessary building permits, and prepare the project to bid.”
A master plan developed by Franklin’s Paine and the parks department calls for as many as 10 smaller skateboard parks around the city.