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Despite efforts by local skateboarders and outside programs that spanned nationwide, Jaycee’s Skatepark will be no more, said Brainerd Parks and Recreation Director Tony Sailer.
“The League of Minnesota Cities said the city of Brainerd needed to close the skateboard park because it was a liability issue,” said Sailer of the skatepark originally built in 2004. “A big part of that was the cement pad the equipment rests on. The cement is cracked and uneven which easily could result in injury. The estimate to replace the cement is $20,000. There were some other issues with the skateboard equipment and park being vandalized on a regular basis and nonstop graffiti. All of these issues factored into the skateboard park being closed.
“At this time the park board has no plans for a new skateboard facility as it would be cost prohibitive.”
A park that had raised concerns following excessive vandalism and damage in February 2012, the Brainerd Parks and Recreation Board locked the gates and closed Jaycees Skatepark until further notice on March 27.
But following a story in the Brainerd Dispatch that sparked the community, parks and rec was flooded with an outpouring of community and nationwide support to help to get a skatepark back into Brainerd.
Kindboards Shop, a local skateboard shop in downtown Brainerd, co-owners Adam Olander and Greg Eberly took to social media for a cleanup of the park and worked throughout the spring months with Sailor and parks and rec for another solution other than closing it down.
A nationwide presence was also felt in Brainerd with the help of nonprofit organizations such as California Skateparks and the Tony Hawk Foundation — programs designed to help aid towns in the construction and fundraising of skateparks around the world — with the same goal of keeping Jaycees open.
Ultimately, Sailer said, it just became easier to keep the park closed and added that the next step is to find a new home for the equipment that was purchased when the park opened with a donated $100,000 grant from KABOOM!
Sailer said he has received inquiries on purchasing the equipment from four metro area communities and local Mount Ski Gull to be used in its snowboard park.
Interested parties have until Dec. 21 to submit a bid and Sailer added that the winning bidder will be responsible for removing and transporting the equipment at its own cost.
JESSI PIERCE, staff writer, may be reached at 855-5859 or jessi.pierce@brainerddispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jessi_pierce (@jessi_pierce).
Comments (7)
Add commentI don't blame the city or Jaycee's.
$20,000. is alot of money to pay for a new slab just to see your efforts vandlized no matter who it doing the vandlizing!
skatepark
It was doomed at that location from the very beginning. The whole park itself needs to be shut down. Its always been a magnet for vandalisim.
Why they didn't put a skate
Why they didn't put a skate park in the roller rink after IT got shut down is above my pay grade. But I bet it would have worked out for the better.
FrogTown Mav
It is & alway's will be a swamp! Depending on the Yr.
Pity
It's a pity that the park is going to be closed and demolished or sold. The skatepark was originally created to meet a community need, and that need still exists. I presume that it's the Park and Recreation Department's mission to meet the recreational needs of Brainerd residents.
The Parks Department had an uncommon opportunity to work with a coalition of local youth and national organizations, and they passed. It seems that Brainerd youth deserve an answer, and that the Parks Department should be providing some opportunity for those passionate youth to remain involved and working toward a long-term solution.
As it is, it seems like the City has simply shut down the local youth.
Non-Profit
Jessi,
you just called California Skateparks "non-profit" that's really funny. they are uber-aggressive, company men, corporate branding, profit machines (often at the the expense of a lot of people with their alleged lawbreaking in the pursuit of profits). you stand around them long enough they'll slap a corporate logo on you.
One of their big brands is Monster Energy Drink, with its spokesman Rob Dyrdek, California prez Ciaglia's close partner -- and how many kids has Monster Energy Drink killed?
http://bit.ly/KpGYcK
HOW ABOUT THE AITKIN SKATEBOARD STATUS?
The skateboard idea in Aitkin was pushed through by a chosen few without even the consideration that what has happened with the Jaycee's Skatepark could possibily happen here. There has been vandalism, garbage thrown around, dogs allowed to crap where children and people walk and play, folks using the City Park have been threatened by bullies using the skateboard park, but the law just can't seem to catch anyone to hold responsible or accountable. With our current leadership in the Aitkin City Council and the County Commissioners plus others with their fingers in the pie making the decisions for us it does not give us citizens/taxpayers much hope for our future as they are spending the money we don't have like it grows on trees. Everything in the City of Aitkin and County will be going up and keep in mind the city and county of Aitkin is probably one of the poorest in the state of MN. due to the high population of seniors/elderly most of whom are struggling to live on very fixed incomes. The rest are more than likely on our taxpayers funded welfare rolls therefore probably not paying into our tax base.