Rochester skate park design revised due to ‘less-than-desirable’ soil

ROCHESTER — A new skate park, designed by Spohn Ranch, is coming to Scott Street Park in Rochester next year.

The Rochester City Council unanimously approved a revised scope of work Aug. 25, after learning the park’s subbase was subpar.

“We are dealing with less-than-desirable dirt,” said Jason Warner, the director of project management for the city of Rochester.

Warner said the soil underneath where the skatepark is going to be placed “is not currently suitable” for supporting the structure of the skatepark.

“We have to excavate a little bit out and then bring in some clean fill, which will be compacted to serve as the base for the skatepark,” he said. “Anytime we remove dirt and have to bring in new material like that, it’s just the cost of the new material and the labor on the material. So about 18 inches of the existing soil is going to be removed, and then we have to bring in clean stone and sand, and a geotechnical grid that helps to lock in the stone and the sand to get a solid base there.”

The additional work and materials added an extra $50,000 to the project, so to keep the skate park within the $500,000 budget approved by council, Spohn Ranch had to slightly alter the design of the skate park.

“We didn’t want to go back and ask for more money, so what I’ve been doing is working with the contractor to revise the plan a little bit so that we can stay within the original budget,” said Warner.

The updated design is about 600 feet smaller, slightly lower in overall height and changes the shape of the park from a triangle to a rectangle.

“I think the most important thing is that the majority of the features that were in the original design are still captured in the new design, and the essence of the design is the same,” Warner said. “It’s still a plaza-style skate park, which is what we really liked about the original design.”

What’s unique about the concept, according to Vince Onel, of Spohn Ranch, is that the design focuses less on the traditional bowl skatepark elements and instead uses steps, ramps, benches and railings that naturally blend into the topography of the site.

“What’s cool about these spaces is if no one is skateboarding, you wouldn’t know it’s a skate park,” he said. “From a community standpoint, it feels like a warm, inviting space to be a part of.”

Mayor Pro-Tem Stuart Bikson applauded the skateboard committee for staying within the budget, despite the added work.

“I want to thank the skateboard committee for showing fiscal responsibility and not trying to come back and ask for more money and making changes. I appreciate that,” Bikson said. “I’d like to see that, hopefully, with other entities in town as well.”

The contractor is currently working on construction drawings, which Warner said will be presented to the council in October. He said construction of the skate park could start as early as spring of 2026.

An entrance to the park will be funded separately, through donations.

“We do have donors that have provided funding that we are going to use to construct the entrance,” Warner noted. “We are very appreciative of that, and we’re still accepting donations, if anyone is interested in supporting the skate park.”

To donate to the skate park, contact the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester at (248) 608-2804.