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Thursday, January 4, 2007

Skatepark Update

posted by on January 4 at 12:56 PM

This post was filed by news intern Brian Turner

As Dan posted already, the only skatepark left in the city’s core was demolished yesterday morning to make way for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s new headquarters.

The destruction of the skatepark, which was owned by Seattle Center, was a surprise to skaters who use the park. Skateboarding advocates like John Carr and Matt Johnston, both members of the citywide skatepark task force, were under the impression that a site for a replacement park would be named before the wrecking crew came through.

“It’s being bulldozed right now?” asked skateboarder Carr after I broke the news to him. “That’s news to me. Wow. Damn.”

A city council ordinance regarding the sale of the property to the Gates Foundation requires Seattle Center to replace the skatepark somewhere on the campus.

Exactly where on the Seattle Center campus the new skatepark will sit, the skateboarders don’t know.

Carr said he and other skateboarding advocates met about seven months ago with Seattle Center and city officials to find a feasible location on the Seattle Center campus. Seattle Center officials, he said, have not been eager to communicate with the skateboarding community.

“We walked around the entire campus and had to listen to why a skatepark was not possible on every inch of the entire campus,” said Johnston, who was also at the meeting.

The council’s ordinance mandates that “there be an open process including the skateboard community in program and design review of the replacement park, and that appropriate city departments facilitate such a transition and keep the city council appraised.”

Now that the park was bulldozed without the skateboarders getting so much as a text message to let them know, skateboarders are not optimistic that Seattle Center will work together with them to build a new park.

“I could see them acting totally autocratically,” said Johnston. “We may end up with nothing that even resembles a skatepark.”

Seattle Center’s website still boasts that the park was “awarded best skateboard park by Evening Magazine viewer’s poll, 2003!”

Not anymore.

At the very least, the destruction of the park may be an impetus for the city to act on its skatepark task-force recommendations.

As The Stranger first reported back in May, since Seattle Center isn’t renewing Fun Forest’s lease, I like Dan’s idea: say “goodbye crappy carnival rides and hello bitchin’ half-pipes.”

Seattle Center has not returned our calls for comment.

This post was filed by news intern, Brian Turner

RSS icon Comments

1

funny thing is - if this was a Vulcan development the Stranger and its readers would be all over that Company and Paul Allen and blaming them for the demise of the skateboard park.

What about Bill Gates and his Foundation - are u guys giving them a free pass. Looks like a double standard to me.

Posted by Blame the SOurce | January 4, 2007 1:08 PM
2

Aren’t things in Seattle Center supposed to benefit the community in some way? You know, park space, concert venues, museums, rides, and convention space and such. Why the hell does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation need to be right there? It could be anywhere and perform the same charitable function. It seems like an ego-stroking move to put your charity headquarters right in the heart of the city’s cultural center.

Posted by JC | January 4, 2007 1:13 PM
3

Aren’t things in Seattle Center supposed to benefit the community in some way? You know, park space, concert venues, museums, rides, and convention space and such. Why the hell does the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation need to be right there? It could be anywhere and perform the same charitable function. It seems like an ego-stroking move to put your charity headquarters right in the heart of the city’s cultural center.

Posted by JC | January 4, 2007 1:16 PM
4

JC - As far as I know the Seattle Center is currently running a large operating deficit, and the sale/lease of that space to Mr. Moneybags brought in some much needed cash-ola for the center. If it is a leased space then the center will continue to get money from the B&MG...

I'm not saying it's right, but that's what I think is going on

Posted by :: shawn :: | January 4, 2007 1:21 PM
5

i like this new intern, brian turner. he's got moxie, bolding and italicizing and header-ing and footer-ing this blog. yes, brian turner will be the mover and the shaker of slog. i see it now.

Posted by kim | January 4, 2007 1:28 PM
6

hear hear! bow down before the new god of slog, brian turner!

Posted by dzienkowski | January 4, 2007 1:35 PM
7

There are ramps, rails and ridges all over Seattle Center. I hope the "skateboard community" (whatever that is) takes advantage of the Center's existing terrain until plans for a new park emerge.

Posted by DOUG. | January 4, 2007 2:05 PM
8

Key Arena will be empty soon. Maybe they can make that the greatest skateboard arena ever.

Posted by him | January 4, 2007 2:14 PM
9

Underhanded and deceitful actions such as this by Seattle authorities were the motivating factor behind the petition drives, protest marches and packed Parks meetings a couple years ago.

The Marginal Way DIY skatepark is also a direct result of skateboarders general distrust of our local government.

I thought we had moved passed that antagonistic phase but, apparently, I'm wrong.

Posted by Timebomb | January 4, 2007 2:31 PM
10

It's easier to rag on Vulcan, which exists to serve Paul Allen's ego and pocketbook, than it is to rag on the B&M Gates Foundation, which exists to fight AIDS, stamp out malaria, combat poverty, etc.

Posted by Dan Savage | January 4, 2007 3:08 PM
11

Don't worry, they can rebuild it in Seattle Center after the Sonics leave.

Posted by Will in Seattle | January 4, 2007 3:30 PM
12

The truth comes out...

Dan Savage is a Player Hater.

Go sell some more books will ya!

Posted by vj | January 4, 2007 4:06 PM
13

“We walked around the entire campus and had to listen to
why a skatepark was not possible on every inch of the entire campus,” said Johnston, who was also at the meeting.

After all the brawling over the routing of the now dead Monorail, it should have been obvious that every piece of that turf is staked and claimed. Even the 'air rights' are subject to some institutional claim.

Skateboarders, it's time to escalate your efforts if you truly want some spaces of your own. You have no constituency except yourselves.

Posted by old timer | January 5, 2007 10:19 AM
14

@5&6: Say what you will, you have to admit this was the most news-y & proffesional looking thing we've seen from the Stranger in, well, ever. Don't mind those mockers, Brian, way to go for trying to bring some respectibility to this rag.

Wait, that didn't sound right ...

Posted by SeattleExile | January 5, 2007 1:16 PM

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