Menu
Skatepark construction starts
Members of the Fort Scott Skatepark Committee said they are thrilled that work has started on the long-awaited recreational facility.
Watching crews and trucks work at the skatepark site Wednesday, Committee Co-Convenor Nate Lyons, an avid skateboarder himself, said it's a nice feeling to finally see the venue start to become a reality after nearly four years of planning.
The 3,000-square-foot park, expected to cost $90,000, will be located parallel to U.S. Highway 69 between the Third and Sixth Street catwalks.
"It's kind of surreal," Lyons said. "It's been a really long process ... I've dreamed about this since I was a little kid."
Lyons said appreciates the support the community support the committee has received.
"They've been so generous," he said.
The committee recently received a $25,000 donation from Colorado businessman Steve Tedesco that helped the group reach its $100,000 fundraising goal. Crews officially broke ground Tuesday on the skatepark.
Lyons and Committee Co-Convenor Bailey Gray said they were "excited" after learning of Tedesco's donation.
"It was really unexpected," Lyons said. "We have kept in touch with Steve through email. He has really embraced this community. It really blew us away."
Gray said the committee has a great working relationship with Tedesco, who decided to get involved after hearing about the project from several of his employees who have stayed in Fort Scott.
"We're incredibly excited and thankful for his donation," she said. "Steve's been great to work with and has wanted to be actively involved since he made the donation... . He has ideas of his own. It's a great relationship, and we anticipate it to continue going forward.
"We want it to be the best park it can possibly be for Fort Scott," she added. "We all have the same goal in mind. We're excited we get to work with him."
Tedesco's donation was made in the name of his late brother, James B. Tedesco, for whom the park will be named.
Through a statistical analysis, the committee has determined that there are nearly 400 skateboarders in Fort Scott who will make use of the park. With the addition of the skatepark, "All numbers of active skateboarders will grow quite a bit," Lyons said. He added the park should appeal to skateboarders of all ages, including himself.
"I can't wait to take that first run," he said.
Most of the funds collected for the park came from grants and donations. The committee has received a $10,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, $4,000 from the Visioning a Healthier Bourbon County group and $15,000 from the city's special parks and recreation fund. The remainder of the money came from the committee's eight-month fundraising campaign. The group has collected about $65,000 from local contributors within the last year, Gray said.
Project Foreman Scott Musgrove of Who Skates, the Kennebunkport, Maine-based company serving as general contractor for the park, said Wednesday crews have been working for about two days, and he hopes to have the park complete within a month. He will be on site until construction is finished.
Musgrove said workers will get dirt work completed before he begins forming and using rebar. Crews will then move to concrete work and build each aspect of the park "piece by piece."
The park will feature quarter-pipes, ramps used for jumping and performing other maneuvers, a bowl-shaped feature like a pool that is made of quarter-pipe, bank ramps and a "hubba" ledge, which is like a bench or wide wall for sliding and grinding, Musgrove said.
Musgrove said he has enjoyed being a part of the venture and appreciates all of the local help he and his crew have received.
"Everybody has bent over backward to get me what I need," he said.
The city has donated equipment and all of the fill dirt for the project. Local resident Kevin "Skitch" Allen and his crew have helped by excavating the topsoil, Musgrove said.
Gray said a base design for the park is complete and some additional elements will be added as the project moves forward to make the park larger. She said the committee continues to receive donations of in-kind labor, materials and equipment.
All donors who have made financial contributions will be included on a recognition wall at the park. The wall will be made of bricks and stones engraved with the names of contributors.
Gray said the hope is to hold a grand opening and park dedication ceremony sometime in April. The committee wants to bring some professional skate teams into town and hold some competitions during the event.
"Hopefully it will be a big event," she said.
The park will be free of charge and open to the public.