Joco Today

New Skate Park Design Unveiled

Extensive community input has shaped plans for a new skate park that were presented at a City Council meeting on Jan. 3, 2023. The City of Lenexa is on track to rebuild its decades-old skate park this year, located within Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. The mayor and council members expressed support for the project and enthusiasm about the final conceptual design.

The new skate park will move slightly east of the current site at 87th Street Parkway and Greenway Lane to accommodate an expanded parking area and sidewalk improvements. The 12,750-square-foot skate park layout will accommodate all skill levels and riding modes — from skateboards and inline skates to BMX bikes, scooters and wheelchairs. The $1 million project budget includes around $250,000 for the parking and pedestrian upgrades.

Lenexa Parks & Recreation is working with industry leader New Line Skateparks to design and build a modern, welcoming skate park. Project leaders spent months talking with the community about features they would like to see incorporated into the design. Efforts included multiple public meetings, online surveys and discussions with interest groups. 

The final skate park design concept includes:

An inviting entry plaza with spectator zones and good visibility.

More features than the existing skate park, with elements of street plazas and bowl parks.

A low-speed technical zone near the entrance for beginners.

An elevated area with a flow bowl on the far side for more advanced riders.

A layout that allows more people to use the skate park at the same time.

Landscaping and shade areas.

A pump track was one requested feature that couldn’t be incorporated in the design due to lack of space. It’s a circular loop track of bumps and banked corners designed to maximize momentum. This feature potentially could be added to another Lenexa park in the future.

The design may also pay tribute to Rolling Magic, a skate park that was located in Lenexa near 95th Street and Interstate 35 in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Construction will take place this spring and summer. The City intends to keep the existing skate park open for use during as much of the construction period as possible. We anticipate opening the new skate park with a public celebration in September. 

Visit Lenexa.com/SkatePark for ongoing project updates.

Original source can be found here.