Large skatepark coming to St. Petersburg

Skaters are stoked as news of a new skatepark in St. Petersburg breaks.
 
Advocates of the $1.25 million new skatepark were thrilled when St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved the design and construction of the future skaters' oasis.
 
With bowls, half-pipes and ramps, the park will be a concrete playground for skaters. The skatepark will be regional grade, meaning designed at a large scale, within Campbell Park.
 
“The reason for building a regional grade skatepark is to both provide our younger citizens with access to a high quality course, and to have a facility that generates economic development,” says City Councilman Karl Nurse for the city of St. Petersburg.
 
Nurse explains that the economic impact involves the plans for future skating tournaments.
 
“We have had similar experiences with our pool, which attracts tournaments and brings folks to town for two to four days.”
 
Campbell Park was a natural choice for the city because it is a large area that can accommodate the new skatepark. It also happens to be connected to the Pinellas Trail, offering convenience to skaters and visitors.
 
Team Pain, a designer of skateparks out of Winter Park FL, has been chosen for the project. Construction of the new skatepark will be handled by Cutler Associates based in Tampa.
 
The question on many a skater’s mind is when they can hit the pavement. According to Nurse, construction is expected to begin early fall this year, and be completed by fall of 2017.
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Kimberly Patterson is a news editor for 83 Degrees Media in the Tampa Bay region of Florida.