Demolition begins on old Maple Leaf Skate Park, paving way for new facility
By Cameron Montemayor
Park workers officially began paving the way for St. Joseph’s first advanced skate park by demolishing the old facility on Maple Leaf Parkway on Monday.
St. Joseph crews were up bright and early with heavy equipment tearing out and transporting large concrete sections of the previous skate park in north St. Joseph on Monday, a long-awaited development in advance of preliminary construction next month.
“Just knowing that we’ve begun now and we’ve been talking about this for so long. We’ve been promising it for so long and the skateboard community has been so good about helping us along the way,” said Jeff Atkins, assistant director with St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities.
Parks officials were recently notified by contractor Spohn Ranch, a California-based developer with extensive experience constructing skate parks, that crews are expected to arrive in early November for the first phase of preliminary grading work.
“Once that’s finished, they’re actually going to let the ground rest and kind of heal until early spring. Then they’ll come back and do their final grading, and then construction will actually begin at that point,” he said.
The $450,000 skate park includes a modern concrete layout with terrain that accommodates all skill levels and riding styles. It features a below-grade bowl, a mini half-pipe section and a number of street elements including rails, ledges and pads.
Atkins expects demolition on the existing skate park to wrap up by the end of this week or next. The new Maple Leaf Skate Park will be constructed in the same location as the previous facility.
“I hope they’re excited now that they actually can see that it truly is going to happen,” Atkins said.
Officials have worked closely with the local skateboard community and park developer Spohn Ranch Inc. to create a concept that appeals both to recreational and longtime followers of the sport.
When construction eventually begins next spring, Atkins said a portion of the nearby parking lot will be used as a staging area for equipment, however, use of the playground will not be impacted.
