New outdoor skate park ready in Elk Grove Village
After years of planning, a skate park resembling one you might see on the boardwalk in California will formally open this weekend in Elk Grove Village.
A ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration are planned from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Audubon Skate Park, 300 E. Elk Grove Blvd. Construction of the $500,000 outdoor facility featuring concrete ramps, stairs, ledges and obstacles recently wrapped up.
“This is built like a real skate park you'd have out west in California or a warmer state,” said Ben Curcio, executive director of the Elk Grove Park District. “It's a nice feature not just for Elk Grove, but the entire region.”
The new skate park was built on the footprint of a former inline hockey rink. Two inline rinks remain at Lions Park on the east side of town and Mead Park on the west.
While Audubon has had its indoor skate park for some two decades now, discussions about having an adjoining outdoor skate park first surfaced in 2013. Planning and design for the project kicked off in 2017 after the park district hosted focus groups with local skaters.
“That design today is really based on that feedback from young adults and older adults who skate,” Curcio said.
Skateboards, BMX bikes and scooters are allowed in the outdoor park, which is free to use. It will stay open until ice and snow force its closure for the season, Curcio said.
Meanwhile, the indoor skate park opened for the season on Wednesday. It usually stays open until April.
The grand opening Saturday morning will feature a DJ and refreshments.