After years of planning and meetings, the St. Petersburg Regional Skatepark has officially opened.
City leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning, where hundreds around the community showed up to try out the new park.
With 28,000 square feet, people got straight to work practicing new tricks and flips.
Even Mayor Rick Kriseman got in on the action and tried how to skateboard.
He told the hundreds of people who attended the grand opening that the park will serve as more than just a fun spot.
“It also helps to make a safer city because it gives our youth another thing to do,” says Kriseman. “Finally, it serves as an economic driver. Hotels and restaurants will benefit from people who will travel from all over to have fun and to enjoy this skate park.”
Former St.Pete City council member Karl Nurse pushed for the city to be known as having one of the largest skate parks in the southeast.
“This would not have happened if the skateboard alliance hadn't filled city council chambers over and over and over again,” says Nurse.
The alliance was started in 2013, to advocate for a centralized skating center.
The $1.25 million skate park is housed in the Campbell Park neighborhood. It was approved by City Council in August 2015 and broke ground in June 2017.
“You get people to come into a neighborhood where they haven't been before and see it's no different from where they live,” says Kriseman.
With unique designs including the deepest skate park bowl in Florida, these skaters say they can't wait to enjoy the summer here.
“This is awesome this is a great time. I can't wait to just come here with some friends,” says Skater Ayden Marrullier.
There were many groups involved with the design and construction, including Cutler Associates, Hunter Booth of Booth Design Group and Dan Vickstrom of Vickstrom Engineering.
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