On Thursday, city officials hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new skatepark that will be located at 117 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown, near McCrea Point Park. Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist thanked all those who have been involved in creating the new skatepark, which includes the Skatepark Project, formally known as the Tony Hawk Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation; Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; city of Jamestown employees; and Pete Scheira, Jamestown Skateproducts owner.

“We’re excited to talk about the start of the first phase,” Sundquist said.

Trevor Staples, Skatepark Project manager, said a lot of hard work has been done by city officials and residents to make the new park a reality.

“This is something you don’t see in every community,” he said. “It’s a great example of what a city can do.”

Remaining parts of the old Jamestown Trolley Building that will be used as part of the new Riverwalk Community Skatepark in Jamestown. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

Scheira said the local skateboarding community started fundraisers, like selling skateboard decks, about 10 years ago to raise money for a future outdoor skatepark in the city.

“We’ve been waiting for this day to happen,” he said. “This is mind-blowing that this is happening.”

Tory Irgang, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director, said the new skatepark built along the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk will add another beautiful attraction to the city.

“We love what this is doing for our downtown,” she said.

The city’s skatepark project started in January 2019 when city officials announced being a recipient of a $250,000 matching grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation. For about one year, the local skateboardig community held fundraisers for the matching grant, with the city also contributing a significant amount of funding to reach $250,000. The $500,000 skatepark’s first phase will be 6,500 square feet. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed in August.

The park will be located at the former Jamestown Trolley Building location. Parts of the former building’s foundation will be incorporated into the skate park.

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation has a special fund for the project titled SK8 JTNY. Those interested in donating can send a check to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring St., Jamestown, NY 14701. For more information, visit crcfonline.org.