Pop-up skatepark in downtown Raleigh hints at what’s to come
The city of Raleigh and local skateboarders are working together to bring a temporary skatepark to downtown.
Voters approved a $275 million parks bond last year that would, in part, transform 14 acres of city-owned land along Capital Boulevard into the future Smoky Hollow Park. But that plan is still some years out and area skateboarders have a plan to use it in the meantime.
“We’re going to activate the site pretty quickly with private funds,” said Steve Mangano. “And this is a gateway to downtown. So if we can activate and bring together this (skater) community and showcase this community that’s out there but just not being seen, that’s really exciting.”
Skate Raleigh was founded by Mangano and his teenage son, Adrian, and others to bring a skatepark to downtown Raleigh. The city only maintains one skate park, at Marsh Creek Park in northeast Raleigh.
“Skating and other action sports have evolved to be inclusive and diverse sports with very low barriers to entry,” said Cody Charland, Skate Raleigh’s executive director, in a news release. “ I believe creating a unique space within Raleigh and partnering with the park system to do so will bring a sorely needed amenity to our community.”
The city of Raleigh agreed to let Skate Raleigh use the upper part of the future Smoky Hollow Park, formerly called the Devereux Meadow Park, as a skatepark until construction begins in about two years. Skate Raleigh will be responsible for building and maintaining the skatepark. It partnered with the City of Oaks Foundation to accept charitable donations and has raised about $300,000 for the park.
There will be 11,000 square feet of skatable area meant to emulate the “urban landscape,” which means rails and ledges instead of deep bowls like there are at Marsh Creek. The “plaza style” of skating is more accessible for beginner and intermediate skaters who might feel intimidated dropping into a skate bowl, Mangano said.
Skate Raleigh is in the midst of the permitting process with the city but plans to open the park later this spring. It’s the exact type of partnership the city is looking to replicate in other places, said Stephen Bentley, the city’s director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources.
“There are great community partners out there,” he said. “And we have assets like land or facilities. So partnering with nonprofits or other businesses so that we can leverage the assets we have to help bring new experiences to the community is something that we want to do more of.”
The park will be open to skateboarders, inline skaters, rollerskaters, BMX bikers and people who ride scooters, Mangano said.
People interested in learning more about the skatepark can visit skateraleigh.com or attend a pop-up skatepark planned for Sunday in downtown.
Want to go?
What: Skate Raleigh’s pop-up skatepark
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Moore Square
More info: The event is open to all skateboarders, rollerbladers, scooter riders and spectators, regardless of ages and abilities. People are asked to bring their helmets.
This story was originally published February 3, 2023 at 8:56 AM.
