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Skate park Stadspark started all with someone who send in an angry blog.
The angry blog The skate park has a special story. It started with a blog by Bram in January 2019. “I had done research and compared Groningen with the top ten major cities in the Netherlands for skaters,” says Bram. “This showed that the skating facilities in Groningen were not good and that there was no central facility for the Urban Community of Groningen.”
This is how Bram unwillingly became the spokesperson for a full-fledged outdoor skate park for the whole of rolling Groningen.
Rollend Groningen
Together with Wessel Oelen, he founded the Rollend Groningen association to better represent the interests of urban sports. Wessel is responsible for the design of the park that is there now.
From Rollend Groningen, the two men have had conversation after conversation with municipal councilors, aldermen and civil servants over the past three years. In addition, they have spent many hours in consultations with skaters, inliners, BMXers and other urban athletes and organized consultation evenings.
Municipality of Groningen
After a year, the municipality joined the process for the Skate Park. All kinds of obstacles had to be overcome. The importance of the park had to be recognized, but for example a location also had to be found.
After the municipal council made the location in the City Park and money available, Henry Vos took on the project from the municipality. “I am also working on the further development of the Trotbaan and the part of Concourslaan that goes with it, so this project fits in well,” says Henry.
“It really is a special community these skaters,” Henry continues. “They have their own language for all the tricks they do and all parts of the park. As if you enter another world. Really very special and fun.”
Skate park phase two
The skate park was built on a part of the City Park where there was previously a parking lot for 47 cars. Half of that is now the skate park, almost 800 square meters in size. The second part of the park will be built in the spring of 2024. Another 800 square meters and then there will be no more room for cars.
“That is why we have now created temporary places on Concourslaan,” explains project leader Henry. “And we are now developing the mobility plan for definitive solutions regarding parking spaces in that area.”
You can find the skatepark at number 17 at this map of the city park.
