Skate park plan is final, will put city on map

Nate Hinkel, Staff Writer (The Times of North Little Rock, North Little Rock, AR) -- 3/4/2004

"Tight."

That’s what local skaters are calling the conclusive design that was decided upon at last Saturdays public hearing that was held to finalize plans for what soon will become the city’s first ever concrete, permanent skate park.

And by “tight,” they mean “gnarly.”

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“It’s going to be the best thing to ever happen to the sport in central Arkansas,” said skater Tyler Hutson. “It’s going to change the way people skate here, and it’s going to take it all to a whole new level.”

Mark Scott, the president of contractor Dreamland Skateparks, and Tavita Scanlon—both design and construction specialists—each developed a clay model that spokesman Kent Dahlgren unveiled to local skaters and Parks Department officials at the public hearing.

“Some of the older and more experienced skaters liked Scott’s design and some of the younger ones liked Scanlon’s,” said Dahlgren, who is back in Oregon this week. “We were able to take the key elements that each side liked and combine them into one design, which is what we’re finalizing now.”

Dahlgren said the final design will most closely resemble a combination of three of the company’s most popular parks—one each in Lincoln City and Aumsville, Ore., and one in Kuna, Idaho—and will combine both street and transition elements, along with a smaller bowl for intermediate skaters.

“This is the most feedback and turnout we’ve ever gotten from a local standpoint,” said Dahlgren. “That makes our job easy because we know we’re able to design and build something that’s molded to the level of local skateboarders…It’s been a fun experience dealing with North Little Rock.”

Oregon based Dreamland—which is made up completely of professional skaters who do all the work on projects, from design to construction—has complete more than 40 parks around the world, mostly in the Pacific Northwest.

John Crow, project coordinator for the Parks Department, said Dreamland is working with $100,000 already secured for the project, with hopes the city can still land a $75,000 community development grant.

The local skateboarders are operating under the nonprofit name of the Central Arkansas Skateboarding Association, and Crow said he’d like to begin soliciting for corporate donations for additions to the park.

“We’ve had such success at the grassroots level of this park, I think our potential is limitless,” said Crow. “I don’t think people realize yet the magnitude and professionalism of this project and what it could do for the city.”

Dahlgren said the company passed the test to get an Arkansas contractor’s license Monday and they’re ready to break ground at Riverview Park by late spring.

“We have a project in Italy we’re leaving to do on March 15 and when we get back from there we’ll probably go ahead and finish one in Idaho,” he said. “From what it looks like, we’ll probably begin in North Little Rock at the end of May or into June.