New skatepark to be built in Perinton Park

Get your skateboard, BMX bikes and scooter ready. A new community skatepark is coming to Perinton Park.

Perinton this week closed off the park's western parking lot this week to prepare for construction of the skatepark and other park improvements, said Jeff Nutting, commissioner of parks and recreation for Perinton.

The planned 11,000-square-foot skatepark is set to include a bowl, various street skating obstacles such as ledges and rails as well as a pump track — a long, flowing segment of the park designed for cruising on bikes and skateboards, said Perinton resident Greg Pilato, who helped create the Fairport Skatepark Campaign to pitch the idea of building a skatepark in 2020.

The idea, he said, is to create a space that's attractive to people of all ages, abilities and interests related to wheeled sports.

Visitors on skateboards, scooters, BMX bikes and roller blades would all be welcome.

The project is budgeted for approximately $1.7 million, much of which will be covered by a $1 million state grant secured by state Assemblywoman Jen Lunsford, Nutting said. The project will also include paved pathways to connect the skatepark to Perinton Park's existing bathrooms, playground, tennis and basketballs courts and other amenities within the park. A new 113-space parking lot, to be located along O'Connor Road just north of the skate park, will also be installed as part of the project, he said.

Perinton Park is a 44-acre park located just west of the Erie Canal, off Route 31F just outside the Village of Fairport.

Decades ago, Pilato said, mostly teenage boys and young adults on skateboards frequented skateparks. Today, he said, its far more diverse, with boys and girls on bikes, scooters, skateboards and roller blades.

"It's a nice alternative to stay active and to not have to travel all over the county to take part in a sport," Pilato said of the non-traditional sport.

Since the town first announced plans to create a skatepark last summer. Residents have taken part in several workshops to help design the layout of the park, which is to be constructed on the west side of Perinton Park, in the place of where a large parking lot is currently located.

The existing parking lot closed Monday, Nutting said.

This month, town crews will work to mill the lot and prepare the space for construction, which is set to begin on the skatepark in July. Work on the new parking lot will take place in July or August. Nutting said he hopes the project will be completed by the end of 2023.

Pilato said he thinks the location is stellar - with a skatepark at Perinton Park, parents can frequent nearby businesses and restaurants while their children skate, or together after a day at the park. Perinton Park is also well connected by paved sidewalks and the canal path, offering skatepark-goers a safe route to reach the park.

"Besides providing families and children with a safe space to enjoy wheeled sports, the Perinton skatepark will enhance our world-class parks system, contribute to our quality of life and bolster our local economy and businesses," said Perinton Town Supervisor Ciaran Hanna. Hanna said that he expects the skatepark, once completed, "will draw interest from the outlying communities and bring patrons to local businesses who might not otherwise be in the area."

The town held a series of design workshops in the last year to determine what to include in the park. Nutting said he appreciated that many future skatepark users, especially children and teens, shared their visions for the space.

Luke Schulte, 13, a Perinton resident who rides and races BMX bikes, was among those to share design ideas to help create the skatepark's design. He said he's very excited for the park because there's nothing quite like it in the area, specifically with a concrete pump track.

Schulte said he loved helping with the process. "Once everyone sees it, it will really open people's eyes of what they'll be able to do there," and how the location is ideal to grab a bite, get gas or enjoy other activities in the park or on the canal.

A handful of skateparks are scattered throughout Monroe County, including the popular Roc City SkatePark, a 14,300-square-foot skate park on South Avenue in Rochester, which opened in 2020. Earlier this year, city officials announced plans to further expand the skatepark thanks to a $3 million state grant.

The city skatepark is great, but lacks designated parking, Pilato said. Plus, it's located under a bridge, Schulte said.

Most skateparks in the area are in Rochester's western suburbs, including a recently revamped skatepark in Sweden, one in Parma and several in Orleans County. There's also a skatepark in Webster and another in Canandaigua. Greece's skatepark at Basil Marella Park was dismantled and replaced with an inclusive playground in 2021.

"Ours is going to be great, a really good outlet and a really good space," Schulte said.

This summer, the town plans to offer learn-to-skate programs at town parks through Perinton Recreation. Once the skatepark is up and running, skating programs will be held at the new skatepark, Nutting said.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New skatepark to be built in Perinton NY