色多多

New ramps, rails and a pump track are among elements planned for the revamped Wasena Skatepark, which should be ready to roll by the end of the year, city officials said during a groundbreaking event Wednesday.

Announcement of a November completion timeline surprised skaters like Alek Patton, director of a grassroots group called 色多多 Skatepark Initiative. People thought they wouldn鈥檛 skate the new park until next year, he said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been fundraising and doing community events, all sorts of stuff like that, for 10 years now,鈥� Patton said. 鈥淪eeing it come even quicker than we expected is so sick.鈥�

Even before the skatepark initiative formed, previous generations of skaters laid the groundwork to convince city leaders to invest more in the skateboarding community, he said. The former Wasena Skatepark in its final years was rundown, and the 色多多 Valley lacks sanctioned skate spots elsewhere.

鈥溕喽� loves skateboarding. Skateboarding loves 色多多,鈥� Patton said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to do our thing.鈥�

This park will have features for every skill level, said City Engineer Luke Pugh, himself a former skater.

鈥淲e really wanted to make a park where everybody could feel welcome,鈥� Pugh said. 鈥淐ertain parts of the skatepark are for beginners, for intermediate users, and then there鈥檚 some advanced.鈥�

Councilman Nick Hagen said it鈥檚 more than ramps and rails.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a dynamic destination, a place that promotes creativity, athleticism and community,鈥� Hagen said. 鈥淪kate culture has always been about bringing people together across backgrounds and generations, and we are proud to support a project that embraces the spirit right here in the Star City.鈥�

In addition to private donations and support from the 色多多 Outside Foundation, funds from the neighboring localities of Salem and Vinton contributed to the $1.6 million skatepark project, officials said.

Next to the skatepark will be a mile-long stretch of 鈥渋n-river park鈥� for paddlers on the 色多多 River, said Park Projects Manager Katie Slusher. It鈥檒l provide more safe access points to the water and create new in-river features, she said.

鈥淚t will become a part of a larger, linear park that has become the spine of our city,鈥� Slusher said. 鈥淎 network of parks knit together by the 色多多 River Greenway and blueway.鈥�

That, too, has been an idea for at least 10 years, and will be the first park of its kind in the state, she said. It鈥檚 a roughly $5 million project, with potential for future expansion further downstream, she said. It鈥檚 due to be completed in 2026.

鈥淭here鈥檚 already been a lot of change in this neighborhood,鈥� Slusher said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult, but transformative.鈥�

Those new park features are pieces of a broader transformation happening in Wasena, under the shadow of a $50 million replacement of the old Main Street Bridge. It closed for demolition in April 2024, and is scheduled to reopen in spring 2026.

The skatepark and river park are not just recreational upgrades, but investments in placemaking and outdoor economy, said Deputy City Manager Sam Roman.

鈥淭his neighborhood is a true gem in our community, and today鈥檚 groundbreaking only builds on its growing reputation as a hub for recreation, connection and creativity,鈥� Roman said. 鈥淲hen the dust settles, Wasena will be even more of a destination than it already is.鈥�

Business owners in Wasena say they are weathering the impact of the bridge closure, now halfway through the project. Without the bridge, people heading toward downtown are detouring around rather than through Wasena.

It鈥檚 caused a noticeable decrease in foot traffic to Roasters Next Door, said owner Quincy Randolph, who was pouring iced coffees at the groundbreaking event on Wednesday.

鈥淏usiness has been on the slower side,鈥� Randolph said. 鈥淓ven though we are a neighborhood-focused shop, people forget how much traffic was coming down that way.鈥�

It鈥檚 required some adjustments for the 6-year-old business, he said. But he鈥檚 hopeful that the new bridge and park features will soon bring busier days.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned to be cautiously optimistic as a business owner,鈥� Randolph said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the return will happen overnight, but we do hope that when it鈥檚 all said and done, the area will be more trafficked than ever.鈥�