We’re excited to announce that as of Friday 10/24, the skatepark at Washington Terrace Park in Niles, Illinois is officially open! The skatepark project began four years ago when a group of Niles high school students launched a Facebook petition urging Village officials to consider building a public skatepark.
It took some serious convincing, but all concerns about the skatepark only serving a small minority have been laid to rest with hundreds of skateboarders and BMX bike riders flocking to the facility since its opening last week.
The excitement surrounding the park is amplified by the construction quality. The Village was initially planning to just place a few metal ramps on the asphalt slab that had previously accommodated tennis and roller hockey, but through a combination of our professional expertise and a flurry of support from local riders, the Village ultimately agreed to pursue a concrete approach.
While the asphalt slab would not serve as an adequate skating surface, it did provide a solid base for new concrete terrain. So instead of demolishing the asphalt, we built right on top of it – adding a 5” thick reinforced concrete slab and a variety of street and transition-style features.
The skatepark is fully lit until 10pm every night with an address of 8858 N Washington St. Niles, Illinois 60714
Our friend Marfa Capodanno stopped by the park this week and captured some of the action!
