A quarter of a century passed before Paddington Skate Park got its first upgrade. In 1991, the skate park opened to the public and just last year, it was reopened by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk following the first upgrade, which amounted to $1.18 million. Today, the skate park in Neal Macrossan Park, Paddington is about to get its second upgrade, based on a proposal submitted to the Brisbane City Council.
The Earlier Upgrade in 2014
“Paddo”, as it is fondly called by the Brisbane Skateboarding Association, underwent a Stage One upgrade three years ago, after going through several obstacles before finally securing approval from the City Council.
In 2014, 200 skaters joined the crowd at the marquee put up by the Brisbane City Council to speak up about their ideas on the park’s upgrade and to celebrate the skate park’s 20 years of existence in the community.
Daniel Pirie of the Brisbane Skateboarding Association was very happy with how everything turned out, “It was a really positive event. A lot of skaters came to the skate park and celebrated its 20 years and the redevelopment,” he said. The association also had an online petition that garnered over a thousand signatures as a show of support for the park’s redevelopment.
Scott Shearer, the president of Brisbane Skate Boarding Association also pointed that the upgrades aren’t just for aesthetic and recreational purposes, but also for the safety of the skaters.
The Proposed 2017 Upgrade
The proposed Stage Two upgrade of the skate park was designed and funded by the City Projects Office, together with the Brisbane City Council. This new upgrade will enable the park to cater to people of all abilities and to add more skate facilities. There will also be improved lighting conditions around the area to support the various types of recreation allowed in the space. More spectator seating will be built and sight lights will be enhanced to improve street visibility.
The second skate park upgrade, which will begin this month, will include the remainder of the park and will also involve upgrading and refreshing of obstacles and transitions, installing more lighting for night-time use, and constructing a footpath connecting the park to the pool and Caxton street.
The upgrade work will be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. There will be no changes in the traffic conditions, but there will be traffic controllers present to ensure road and environment safety. Construction is expected to be finished by mid-2017.
The Paddo Do-Over, a Magnet for More Events
This second park upgrade creates an opportunity to hold more events in the area and attract more skaters, both local and international. The skate park has previously been visited by world-renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk. Regular national and international skateboard demonstrations and competitions are held at the park. However, all of these stopped when the park slowly deteriorated, hence the call for major changes.
As the City Council and the Brisbane Skateboarding Association work together to refurbish and upgrade Paddo, both residents and enthusiasts can look forward to enjoying the beauty of a new and improved skate park soon.
Photo credit: CC-BY/Brisbane City Council/Flickr
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