Sioux Falls Skatepark moves forward with future chamber campaign

Jan. 15, 2020

A 2021 fundraising campaign through the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce looks like it will make the Sioux Falls Skatepark a reality.

The proposal would create what organizers call a state-of-the-art skate park at Nelson Park, near Drake Springs Family Aquatic Center.

“One of our goals is not only building a park but building community,” said Walter Portz, who co-founded the nonprofit Sioux Falls Skatepark Association in 2017.

Portz briefed the Sioux Falls City Council on the plan Tuesday. While it would involve use of city property and a future gifting agreement, construction is expected to be funded privately.

Much of the estimated $1.6 million cost will come from a planned chamber Community Appeal campaign that will run from late 2021 until early 2022.

A video presentation to the council lifted up the role skateboarding can play in cultivating a progressive young city, with people who go on to form businesses and work in creative occupations.

“Really, we’re investing in culture,” it said, calling the skate park “a doorway into a robust and supportive community.”

The plan was developed with input from the community as well as professional skateboarder Kanten Russell. It was designed to mimic the features of the falls of the Big Sioux River, with bowls, terraces and various levels similar to the rock formations at Falls Park.

Take a look at the preliminary design by New Line Skateparks in this video:

The skate park also is designed to incorporate quartzite “to tie in something unique,” Portz said. “The community has really embraced the design we came up with.”

Bowls range from 4 to 7 feet in depth, allowing for skateboarders of all levels, “and outside of that, really there’s a lot of variation whether it’s skateboarding, biking, scooters, a lot of things for them to ride and really connecting with the existing park structure was a big part of it too,” Portz said.

The plan also calls for adding pedestrian connections and walkways, so people can walk throughout Nelson Park and access it from area neighborhoods and the bike path, as well as additional parking. If the plan stays on track, construction would be done in 2022 and the park would open in 2023.

Want to stay in the know?

Get our free business news delivered to your inbox.



Sioux Falls Skatepark moves forward with future chamber campaign

A 2021 fundraising campaign through the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce looks like it will make the Sioux Falls Skatepark a reality.

News Tip

Have a business news item to share with us?

Scroll to top