'State of the art' Dover skate park to break ground soon. This is what skaters can expect.
DOVER — Construction of what has been hailed as a "state-of-the-art, Olympic-quality" skate park by city officials is set to begin soon.
The project received its last major approval from the city Planning Board last week, allowing Dover Skatepark at Guppey Park to move forward.
Recreation Director Gary Bannon, who is overseeing the project, hopes construction for the first phase of the park will begin in mid- to late August and be completed by late fall. The existing skatepark on River Street will remain open until the new one is completed.
The City Council authorized up to $500,000 for constructing the skatepark's first phase last year. About three-quarters of the main park cost was funded using developers' impact fees that must be used on recreation capital projects.
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As currently envisioned, the skatepark would include three elements, the main skate park, a skate bowl and a BMX pump track. The skate park will be built first, followed by the bowl and pump track in future phases as funding allows. The concrete will be shaded, giving the project a design feature that sets it apart.
“We’ve had a ton of support on this project from people who are very much looking forward to this,” Bannon said. “We are going to build something that the city will be proud of. When it’s done, it will be the place to be.”
The city is working with the Dover Arts Commission to create a creative space adjacent to the skating area, where there will be opportunities for graffiti artists to contribute to an art wall exhibit that will change on a rotating basis.
“An art wall like this adds some color and flavor to the park, connecting with skating culture without physically impacting the skate park itself,” Bannon said.
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Bannon said the plans for the skatepark haven't changed since its Technical Review Committee approval, but the city has done extensive work on the engineering plans around the park to ensure accessibility, and planning for utility placement, landscaping, and other details.
“It takes a lot of work to put all the pieces together so it could be finally signed off on in its entirety,” Bannon said. “We've been crossing our Ts and dotting our Is to make sure everything's ready. This was the final step before construction is ready to roll.”
Basic site work for the new park was completed last fall. This site preparation included ground leveling and tree trimming at Guppey Park to prepare for the anticipated start of construction this year.
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The River Street skatepark will be removed to allow for the redevelopment of the 29-acre city-owned waterfront property, which is expected to be underway next year.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover NH skate park coming soon in 2022
