Indiana’s Largest Concrete Skatepark Has Officially Broken Ground
Indiana's largest skatepark is now a step closer to becoming reality. A groundbreaking ceremony was held this morning at the building site in Evansville, Indiana.
Why a Concrete Skatepark?
Southern Indiana is a step closer to its all-new (and much-needed) concrete skatepark. You may be asking yourself why the Evansville area needs a skatepark and that's a really valid question. The truth is that skateboarding is actually pretty popular with the youth in our community - not just in Evansville but in the entire Southwestern Indiana region and there isn't really anywhere locally that is a dedicated outdoor space for those that enjoy skateboarding.
Why Do We Need One In Evansville?
According to the organizers behind the campaign to make this a reality, the closest concrete skatepark to Evansville is in Owensboro, Kentucky. Being that far away, it's of little benefit to those in the River City who enjoy spending time outdoors on their skateboards. Other cities in Indiana have concrete parks but all Evansville is currently offering is the dilapidated Lamasco skatepark which is more than 20 years old and in a terrible state of disrepair.
Evansville lags behind other Hoosier cities like New Albany, Hammond, Terre Haute, Seymour, Lafayette, Kokomo, Richmond that already have concrete skateparks. SSP will replace a metal structure skatepark built in 2001 along the Greenway Trail in Lamasco Park. This skatepark met its lifespan within ten years. With metal connectors broken, shaky structural supports, and amateur repair attempts, the site is now all but closed, stripping our skating community of a safe, appropriate space to skate and build community.
How It Came to Be
The idea and plans for Sunset Skatepark have come to fruition around 2015 and now over 600 skateboarders, skaters, and BMX bikers spanning multiple generations have come together to brainstorm, fundraise, and otherwise, layout plans to bring this park into reality. Keep scrolling to see the conceptual rendering for the new park.
Breaking Ground
Sunset Skatepark organizers had hoped to be able to start construction in late 2021 but the project has taken a little longer than initially planned. On December 12, 2022, ground has officially been broken for the project. Once completed, Sunset Skatepark will be the largest concrete skatepark in the state of Indiana, covering nearly 2,700 square, according to Downtown Evansville.
The nearly 27,000 square feet skatepark will be located between Mickey's Kingdom and the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Sunrise Pump Station along the Downtown Evansville Riverfront. The projected timeframe for completion is Summer 2023.
Learn more at www.skatesunset.com.
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