Skatepark Building Is Big Business

Skatepark Building Is Big Business
In this Friday, July 6 2012 photo, Joshua Castro, 30, of the Queens borough of New York skates at the pier 62 skatepark at the Hudson River park in New York. Hudson River Park between Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan and 59th Street with a bike path, green spaces, playgrounds and recreation ranging from mini-golf and skateboarding to kayaking and even stand-up paddleboarding. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Yvonne Marcotte
4/27/2016
Updated:
4/27/2016

Four bidders have emerged to build Middletown’s 13,000 square foot skatepark, and the city has allocated $400,000 for the outdoor facility.

Luke Snavely from American Ramp Company in Joplin, MO says the park will put the city “on the map.” ARC has built over 2,000 skateparks, calls itself “the global leader in modular skatepark technology,”and counts the Army, Navy, and Marines among its customers.  Their designs are laid out for quick installation and ease of maintenance. ARC’s Green Skate initiative considers sustainability and the environment and makes an effort to develop neglected sites or brownfield and reduce urban sprawl. The company offers a 15-year limited warranty, precast precision, and a solid concrete riding surface.

California Skateparks of Upland, CA has that West Coast vibe that says “this is where it started.” The company uses “sustainable design-build practices” called Green Builds and incorporates “skate-able art,” ornamental metal fabrication, custom iron fences, gates, steel coping, edging, and rails.  The company’s website states their resources “allow us to create one of a kind, skateable art pieces and skate features that give each skate spot a unique identity that reflects the communities in which they were built.” The company has built 200 skateparks. 

Another California company, Spohn Ranch Skateparks, prides itself on cutting-edge, award-winning designs, and establishing ASTM construction guidelines for skateparks. The company designs and builds courses for competitions, for film and television, and corporate events. The company’s website says it has pioneered making skateparks “vibrant community spaces with architectural finesse and sculptural elements that double as visual focal points.”

Monaco Landscaping is a local company with deep roots in the community serving Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties for almost 40 years. The company provides landscape design and installations, outdoor lighting, parking design, and masonry and construction. The company recently completed installation of the King Street Walkway in downtown Middletown.