Of the 77 parks with 52 playgrounds owned and maintained by the City of Evanston, the voices of area teens have been heard with their call for the construction of a brand-new skate park.
Evanston’s Skate Park grand opening took place Saturday, hosted by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. A celebration of the newly constructed skate park gathered local skaters, community supporters and wheel sports enthusiasts at Twiggs Park at 1901 Simpson Street.
The park officially opened in January but the grand opening was hosted alongside warmer weather on April 6.
Seventeen-year-old, Joseph Sargent is a member of Evanston’s local skateboarding community who attended the event.
“The Evanston Skate Park is a place that everyone can come and be themselves,” Sargent said.
Seventeen-year-old Joseph Sargent, a member of Evanston’s local skateboarding community, attended the grand opening of Evanston’s Skate Park on Saturday, April 6. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
Sargent and fellow skaters agree that skateboarding is difficult to define because it is an emotional and psychological battle with your own fear.
Saturday’s ceremony featured speeches and a ribbon-cutting with appearances by Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, Councilmember Bobby Burns, and others alongside skate games and skate/skateboarding vendors.
Senior Project Manager for Evanston’s Public Works Agency Stefanie Levine said they found a gap in service as a number of residents were skating in downtown locations like Fountain Square and wherever they could in areas not properly designated for skaters.
“We sensed a growing need and had an increase in public requests to create a designated skate park in Evanston and decided it was time to put this on the map,” Levine said.
Evanston’s Skate Park hosted a grand opening Saturday, April 6 hosted by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department at Twiggs Park,1901 Simpson Street. The event gathered local skaters, community supporters and wheel sport enthusiasts for a celebration of the newly constructed park feature which officially opened in Jan. of this year. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
Levine says part of the rationale for a new skate park was that the wooden skate park at the old Robert Crown Community Center had degraded and fallen apart years ago.
“This new Evanston Skate Park is the only skate park now owned and operated by the City of Evanston,” Levine said.
The park feature was designed by Teska Associates, a local landscape architecture firm, who brought an experienced team of sub-consultants that included Spohn Ranch, a specialty skate park design company, according to the city website.
Spohn Ranch has completed hundreds of installations nationwide, and recently, a skate park for the Deerfield Park District, cited by Evanston skaters as an exceptionally successful design.
Evanston Skate Park will be open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and welcomes all ages and experience levels. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
Andy Busch of Evanston lives in the neighborhood and says his 5-year-old son watched the construction of the park for many months.
“This will provide kids in the area a place to join together in community and participate in skateboarding in a dedicated and safe environment,” Busch said.
Local members of Evanston’s skateboarding community agree that the sport is difficult to define because it is an emotional and psychological battle with your own fear. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
Levine says throughout the three-year planning process, a number of public meetings were held to gain feedback, invite dialogue and enable public participation in making decisions about the park’s design.
Evanston Township High School student Evan Fisher says he has been waiting for a skate park to come to the city.
Evanston Township High School student Evan Fisher tests out the new equipment during Evanston’s Skate Park grand opening on Saturday, April 6. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
“I love this course which includes a number of smaller obstacles, great for beginners as wells as those more advanced in wheel sports,” Fisher said. “It’s a place where you can watch your progress evolve.”
Levine describes the finished site as one meant to provide for many styles of skating and wheeled sports like BMX bike racing, skateboarding and scootering, thereby providing multitude spectrum use and broad appeal.
Samantha Livaditis of Glenview is 12-years-old and tried out the course on Saturday.
Samantha Livaditis of Glenview tried out the course during Evanston’s Skate Park grand opening on Saturday, April 6. (Gina Grillo/Pioneer Press)
“There are other skate parks, but this may the best one on the North Shore,” Livaditis said. “It has a smooth bowl, a challenging street course, and lots of transitions and bumpers.”
Open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the park welcomes all ages and experience levels.
Burns lives in the area known as the Ashland Arts Business District.
“This park gives our youth a home to experience skating and a path to pursue their talents,” Burns said. “This is good for them and for the public at large.”
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
