Here’s what Pocatello’s new skatepark will look like
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POCATELLO – The city of Pocatello has released the finalized designs for its upcoming skate park.
Director of Parks and Recreation Anne Butler presented the rendering of what Optimist Skatepark will look like to the City Council on Thursday morning. Butler expects the 90-day construction process to be completed sometime this summer.
David Van Etten, who has been working toward a new skatepark for Pocatello for close to 10 years, sees it as a “big win.”
“I think it’s a home run for everybody. It’s a fantastic park,” Van Etten said.
Van Etten moved to Pocatello in 2015 and founded the Southeast Idaho Skatepark Association, more commonly known as Skate Idaho, in 2017. After seeing the aged and dilapidated state of Ross Park Skatepark, he raised awareness to the need for a skatepark to replace it.
The final design for the skatepark, which was created by Brad Siedlecki from Pillar Design Studios, was made after the city held an open house meeting in January where it presented four preliminary designs. Butler sees this final rendering as something that combines the best elements of all those original designs.
“It really brought together those four designs and really what the kids wanted, which is the coolest part,” Butler told EastIdahoNews.com.
The new skatepark will host a variety of street features like a stair set and multiple railings.
It will also have a large skating bowl, which will be 41 feet long, and it will drop to 6 feet at its steepest point.
To prevent the bowl from filling up, it will have a drain that will run into a water retention pond outside of the skatepark.
The council funded this project with $500,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act. Skate Idaho is also set to donate $25,000 later this month to add the stair set, second access point, and an “Idaho” feature on the quarter pipe, which will reach up around 10 feet from the bottom to the top of the feature.
Butler spoke to how thankful she was for Van Etten, as well as Darin Black, owner of Deckadence Skateboards, and Councilman Brent Nichols, who has skateboarded in the past, for providing expert feedback on the designs.
“So between (them) and the kids and adults that came out to give feedback and input, Pillar Design knew exactly what this park should be,” Butler said.
Skate Idaho has also been working with parents Brandon and Stacie Nichols to fundraise for a memorial at the skatepark for their son, Brandon Chevy Nichols, who passed away. People who would like to donate can do so by either contacting Skate Idaho on its website, or donating on Venmo to @SkateIdaho.
The city has scheduled a groundbreaking for the future Optimist Skatepark on March 21 at noon. The new skatepark will be near North 8th Avenue and East Sherman Street.
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