By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A chance meeting last summer is beginning to produce some tangible results as work begins on a skate park in Decatur.
Concrete work was scheduled to start Wednesday on the west side of North Ward Park, near the city swimming pool.
Some meager wooden equipment has been situated on the site for a number of years, but the new setup will bring vast improvement.
The entire investment could amount to $35,000, with federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) being used.
Some $20,000 has already been spent or accounted for and city council, at its Tuesday night meeting, approved another $10,000, if needed.
The new equipment – quarter pipes, ramps, kickers, a pyramid, etc. – will be concrete. The entire area got a new coat of asphalt last year.
The skate park’s hours will the same as in other city parks.
The idea of a new skate park was launched last summer when, Mayor Dan Rickord said at the Tuesday council meeting, he observed some young people skating on their boards “where they shouldn’t have been skating” downtown.
From that came a meeting with the mayor, Building/Zoning Superintendent Curt Witte, and some of the city’s skateboarders.
“Their attitude really changed once they realized we wanted to work with them,” the mayor said at an earlier meeting.
Council gave its approval to the preliminary plans prepared by Witte.
“I’m really excited to get this started,” the mayor said.