Local skate park taking shape

Skateboarders in Bloomington edged closer to getting their own park, as the Parks and Recreation Department and the architectural firm of Lawrence Moss & Associates of Glendale, Calif., presented the city with the first conceptual design of the park Friday.\nThe city announced last month it will begin the design phase of the 15,000 square foot skate park at Upper Cascades Park and Golf Course. The addition will feature courses for both street and transition skateboarding, complete with ramps and rails, and is expected to be completed this fall.\nLocal skateboarders and community members evaluated the plans for the skate park with representatives from the firm via conference call. Although many were pleased with the complexity of the course, the need for more improvement was the overall consensus. \n"The architects need to get a clear focus on who they are building the course for," sophomore Justin Busch, who has been skateboarding for three years said. "I would like to see more of a street course."\nJulie Ramey, community relations manager for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the city chose Lawrence Moss & Associates to design the park because of their experience and good reputation in constructing skate parks in Indiana. \n"The firm is going to take the community's suggestions and try to better the plan," Ramey said. "They are trying their best to put together a facility that is safe, durable, usable and something that everyone can enjoy."\nThe proposal to build a skate park in Bloomington was introduced by local skateboarders over four years ago. However, the final decision to build the park was originally put on hold because of strong opposition from the community. \n"We are just relieved that the plans for the park are finally taking shape," Busch said. "It was a long battle to get the park, and we finally won."\nGuinness Ohehout, manager at Desuma Skate Shop, is not optimistic about the skate park, he said. Ohenhout said he does not expect the skate park to open in the near future because the concrete has a tendency to crack with the cold temperatures.\n"Bloomington shut down a skate park a few years ago because it started to fall apart," Ohenhout said. "If the city wants to make this park last, they shouldn't make the same mistakes."\nRamey said the design firm is expected to take the community suggestions into consideration when constructing a new model. The firm will then present their improved plan to local residents to gain approval. Ramey said the park will be complete by early October.\n"The architects need to cater to everyone's needs," Ohenhout said. "If they don't, it will be a long time before Bloomington sees a skate park"