The skate park was originally located on the park’s tennis courts. It was constructed by local skateboarders in conjunction with the Former Director of Parks and Recreation, J.R. Pope, and boasted over 14 different features. After an injury in September 2012, the city ordered the removal of four features that were over four feet tall (Style Weekly). Then, after continued noise and loitering complaints from some neighbors, the city threatened to take down the wooden features on the tennis courts. From there, a months long back and forth between the city, neighbors and skaters ensued (RVA News). Eventually, in early February 2012, the Department of Parks and Recreation posted a letter on the tennis courts letting skaters know the park would be dismantled.

Due to continuing neighborhood complaints about late night use of the skatepark and that many of these skateboard ramps are unsafe for many users, they must be removed from the Playground by Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Failure to remove this equipment will result in these items being disposed of by City Parks and Recreation Staff. Thank you for your cooperation. RVA NEWS

The current conceptual plan and recent community surveys have all advocated to prioritize an expanded skate park. At the meeting held on September 14, 2022, the city stated there was no funding to move it forward, and that the community would need to raise funds for this expansion.

Our plan is to continue to work with both the City and skateboarders to prioritize the expansion of the skatepark. If you are interested in getting involved in this work, please let us know on the form on the Get Involved page.