Cape Skate Park 'perfectly usable,' to be finished by spring

Cape Girardeau's new skate park near East Rodney Drive and Hawthorne Road is expected to be completed by spring of 2019, according to City of Cape Girardeau's Parks and Recreation director Julia Jones.

Derek Floyd, center, performs a kickflip over a set of stairs at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

"The project crew that was from out of town completed their portion of the work," Jones said Friday. "Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been super cooperative for us to be able to get out there."

American Ramp Co. of Joplin, Missouri, constructed the concrete, triangle-shaped skate park.

Austin "Audi" Urhahn of Cape Girardeau performs a roast beef grab while skating at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

"They go all over the world to build these skate parks," she said. "They're in high demand, so we're a bit at the mercy of their schedule, and weather."

Jones expects more site work to be completed over the next couple of weeks -- weather permitting -- including laying water lines and electrical lines, pouring concrete for sidewalks and parking, installing light poles and laying sod to stabilize the soil banks "to get everything looking a little bit better."

Duwan Harris ollies up a ramp at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

But it hasn't stopped the skaters from using the park, Jones said.

"It's perfectly usable right now," she said. "I think even if we would have put up a 10-foot tall fence, children would've still found a way to get in there to skate on it. They're so excited about it."

Skaters watch as Derek Floyd, lower right, picks up speed while skating inside the bowl at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

She said access to the skate park will only be restricted if there's a particular safety issue. But right now, it's safe to skate on, she said.

"It's just the accessibility is a bit challenging, because it's just all dirt," Jones said.

Derek Floyd, center, switches his stance while skating down the wall of the bowl at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

Jones doesn't anticipate full completion of the project until late winter or early spring, due to weather and other city projects also in progress.

"We knew that it was going to be late fall before the company was completed with their portion of the work," she said, "and that's never a good time frame for construction projects when you get closer to winter ... these aren't ideal construction times, and it makes it challenging."

Austin "Audi" Urhahn of Cape Girardeau performs a roast beef grab while skating at the new skate park in Arena Park on Friday in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

Jones estimated the project to cost just under $300,000.

When the site is more complete, Jones said, the city will host a formal ribbon cutting, along with skateboard and biking demonstrations.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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