Earlier in May, city council members approved a plan to create a regional skate park in St. Pete — roughly 30,000 square feet. Karl Nurse was a leading voice behind getting the plans passed. Back in 2014, Nurse lead the charge to reverse the ban on skating downtown. More than just for kick flips and grinding, many students at SPC and USF St. Pete use boards as a form of transportation to class. They also use boards as a way to visit the local markets, restaurants and galleries popping up in the EDGE, Grand Central and Warehouse Arts Districts. The approval of this skatepark represents the Burg's embrace of skating as both a passion and a utility.
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*Photo via St. Pete Skatepark Alliance
The regional park will serve as a sort of skating mecca for Burg residents and skaters all over Florida. It will cater to beginner, intermediate and advanced skaters. Designs reveal plans for a flow area, a multi level street course, multiple bowls and more. The park is being built by Team Pain. Their concrete projects include the 7,500 square foot Lake Vista Park in St. Pete, and the 24,000 square foot skatepark in Lakeland.
Construction on the park — located at 16th Street and 5th Avenue South — is set to begin later this summer. The estimated completion date is early spring of 2017. This park represents roughly two years of work and negotiation by Nick Nicks and Daniel C Brown with the St. Pete Skatepark Alliance, and Jay Turner, owner of School of Skatin'. They exhaustively worked with the city to make this concept a reality. This appeal to a younger demographic is a testament to city official's commitment to keep a new generation of residents interested and involved with the city.
The park holds potential for regional and national competitions. There is also speculation that the park could host a variety of after school and summer programs from kids and teens all across Tampa Bay. Currently, Jay Turner provides after school classes for local students. You can learn more about the school and camp/class schedule by clicking HERE.
St. Pete isn't the only city craving a new spot to shred. There is currently a petition circulating to bring a skatepark to our neighboring city of Gulfport.
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