By Emma Stone
After reaching the goal of raising $250,000 in February, the City of Ruston has agreed to break ground for Phase 1 of the Ruston Skatepark.
The Friends of Ruston Skatepark held an input meeting Thursday night at the Historic Fire Station to get feedback from the community for design options.
Kanten Russell, director of design for New Line Skateparks, drew up three possible designs.
“Skateparks have come a long way,” said Russell. “It’s not just about riding in the park; it’s about how you get to the park, how to use it, how to hang out there and how to stand or wait your turn.”
Each design was displayed on a board for anyone to put a colored sticker on parts that they liked about the designs to act as a “heat map”.
In addition everyone was encouraged to fill out a paper describing what they liked or disliked about each concept.
“The flow relies heavily on economic viability, technical feasibility and environmental capability,” said Russell.
The first design is named “Split Lanes”, the second is “50/50” and last is “Original Hunger Design”.
Joey Slaughter, executive director for Friends of Ruston Skatepark, expressed his gratitude for the turnout.
“I’m so grateful for everyone that showed tonight,” said Slaughter. “This is the first half of getting everyone on board for this project.”
The skatepark had started as an idea in 2016 with a small group of local skaters that never touched ground.
Now that proper funding has been acquired and blueprints mapped, the focus from the community were about proper lighting at night, shade from the heat and restrooms.
Camryn Tucker, an attendee, felt that the designs needed to include an aspect for each level of proficiency.
“I think the skatepark needs to be able to include every person, not just advanced skaters,” said Tucker. “Incorporating murals or artwork could give it the culture that Downtown Ruston has.”
Russell hopes to include pieces of art or skate-able sculptures and a large variety of railing and elevation.
An online survey is available to those that could not attend by following this link: https://tinyurl.com/Ruston-Meeting-1
The survey closes on August 11 and everyone is encouraged to support by giving their feedback.
You can access the Friends of Ruston Skatepark website by going to https://skateparkofruston.com.
