The Student Newspaper of Highline College

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Local skaters say the Des Moines Skate Park is worn and unsafe.

Skate Park could get some upgrades

Cassidy Kannin Staff Reporter May 05, 2022

The Des Moines skatepark may receive long overdue renovations in the coming updates to the 

Field House Park, city officials say. 

Des Moines’ only skatepark is located between the police station and field house and has been denounced by skaters for years. This is due to the outdated park design and dilapidated nature of the concrete ramps and ledges. 

However, plans to renovate the Des Moines Field House and surrounding area are in the works. 

“The Skateboard Park, as part of the Field House generally, is well overdue for renovation and we anticipate being able to pay attention to that,” said Director of Administrative Services Bonnie Wilkins. 

 Wilkins said that plans for the field house and skatepark had been impacted by Covid. But the city council and administration are keeping the park in mind for possible updates. 

“The city has been, and will continue, to invest in our park system,” she said. 

This should be good news for local skaters who have long since ditched the skatepark in search of better spots. 

Local skaters often say they prefer the Field House’s steps to skate on, rather than the park.

“No one skates here,” said local skater Rory Sellers. “It just really sucks.”

The park is a dull mass of gray concrete, featuring some small ramps and a ledge on either side. 

The main attraction of the park is the 5-foot funbox, a four-sided ramp with a platform on the top, which was hailed as the best thing to skate at the park in its years of relevancy.   

But not so much anymore, local skaters say. 

“Des Moines’ park is just crusty,” Sellers said. 

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