Activity on Opening Day
Timeline
June 2014: On June 21st, International Go Skate Day, Mayor Stephanie Miner cuts the ribbon and declares the plaza officially open. Check out these photos from the Grand Opening!
May 2014: Eight months after the start of construction (weathering a harsh winter and late spring), the concrete portion of the plaza is complete. The soft opening has happened, everyone is loving it. It has already attracted visitors from as far away as Buffalo. This is Phase I of the original vision. Plans continue to expand and build out the full vision.
August 2013: Thanks to Mayor Stephanie Miner and the City Council, the construction budget was fully funded at the August 5th meeting of the Common Council.
July 2013: Bids come in over budget! Time may be running out on our New York State grant. Construction season is here. Fundraising begins to keep the dream alive! S.J. Thomas Contractors is the successful bidder. Who Skates will be doing the specialty work.
June 2013: The Skate Park Project begins advertising for bids in the Post-Standard on June 2, with bids being due to the City of Syracuse by June 25, 2013.
2012: Eastwood Neighborhood Association partners with the City of Syracuse, Appel Osborne and Pillar Design to detail the design for the bid process.
The concept is to build a concrete plaza for a variety of potential uses with signs that say “Welcome Skateboarders”. The non-skateboarder might not notice the stair sets boarded by hubbas (ledges to glide down), or the variety of ledges and banked hips (angled surfaces to move between). The average skateboarder will notice and be thrilled.
2010: After several grant request submissions, and by downsizing the dream a bit, a $150,000 construction grant from New York State is secured, matched with $50,000 from the City of Syracuse. Another construction grant of $5,000 is received from the Tony Hawk Foundation.
2007: With a basic design concept in mind, work begins to secure funding.
January 2006: The Committee selects Huntington Park as the site for the skate park and gathers more than 1,000 signatures, starting with the neighbors on Woodbine and Stafford Avenues.
September 2005: Seven ENA members gather for the first meeting of the Skateboard Research Committee. The group quickly grew to 25 members, including skaters, parents and a representative from Syracuse Parks. With encouragement from James Street churches and businesses, the research began.
Original Vision
The Skate Park Research Committee, a working committee of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association (ENA) worked for 9 years to develop the Community skateboarding park, East Woods Skate Park, behind Huntington Elementary. The Committee, along with local youth and parents, and with support from the Eastwood Community secured the money through fundraising and grants to cover the costs of construction for Phase I. The video to the right features Andrew Grabowski, an Eastwood native and skateboarding phenom who was instrumental in advocating for the park.
From Dream to Design
Design goals:
The basic design is a Street Plaza Style with good flow and adequate open space.
It will accommodate beginners as well as the more experienced skateboarder.
The plaza will also accommodate an expansion for Phase II.
Design elements:
Eight (8) stair set with a round rail and boarded by Hubbas
Quarter Pipes for transition on each end
Banks
C Ledge
Long Flat Ledge (manual pad)
Banked Crater
Up to Down Ledge
Five (5) stair deep tread set with a square rail and boarded by Hubbas
Flat Grind Rail
Banked Hips
Skaters’ Stories
Click each below
