Texas side finalizes design for skate park

Texarkana, Texas, City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., is shown in December 2015.
Texarkana, Texas, City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., is shown in December 2015.

Local skaters took advantage of their last chance to suggest design tweaks for a coming skate park Tuesday at a webinar in Texarkana, Texas, City Hall.

At a final meeting before construction begins, about a half-dozen Texarkana skating enthusiasts, as well as Planning and Community Development Director David Orr and Parks and Recreation Director Robby Robertson, consulted with the park's builders by phone and internet, viewing an interactive, 3-D model of the park.

In March, the Texas-side City Council approved building the skate park next to Kidtopia children's park, between West Third and Broad streets. It will cost an estimated $244,500 and be paid for with Community Development Block Grants allocated in the city's 2016 fiscal year budget.

The skaters' responses to the design proposed by American Ramp Co. of Joplin, Mo., were generally positive.

"I'm ecstatic. This is going to be great. I can't believe the city's actually going through with this whole thing," Stephen Brown said.

They did, however, propose a few adjustments.

"The changes that we suggested would be more user-friendly for a wider variety" of ages and skill levels, Heath Day said.

Skaters first met with Nathan Bemo, American Ramp Co.'s owner and president, in April to offer design ideas for the park. On Tuesday, Bemo continued to cooperate with the park's eventual users, saying the company would take only a day or two to incorporate their ideas into a final plan.

Robertson said he expects work on the park to begin by July 1. Construction should take two to three months.

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