YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission & the Charter Township of Ypsilanti are proud to announce that the Ypsilanti Township CommUNITY Skatepark in Ypsilanti will be open to the public on Thursday, September 17. Due to COVID-19 gathering limitations, there was a special invitation-only, ribbon cutting on Wednesday, September 16 at the new facility, which is located at Community Center Park (2000 E. Clark Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48198) on the corner of East Clark and Midway roads.
Designed and constructed by New Line Skateparks, the Ypsilanti Township CommUNITY Skatepark brings to life the feedback from three community workshops held in 2019. The skatepark, which is approximately 9,000 square feet, combines popular street-style skating and bowl skating features and offers a large bowl, as well as various sized ramps, rails, stairs, and various ledges.
“It’s very exciting to be able to officially open the park to the skating community,” said Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission Deputy Director, Meghan Bonfiglio. “From the moment the idea of a new eastern county skatepark was brought to the Parks Commission it has taken on a life of its own. We have seen an outpouring of support for this park. The opportunity to partner with Ypsilanti Township to provide skateboarders a safe, recreational community resource that will be used for years to come, is really special. And we have a lot of partners to thank for bringing this project to life.”
The Ypsilanti Township CommUNITY Skatepark effort has been underway since early 2018 and was sparked by the Built to Play Skatepark Grant initiative and the local skateboarding community. Built to Play offers matching grants up to $250,000 for public skateparks in SE Michigan and Western New York. The grants are available through a partnership between the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and The Skatepark Project. The Washtenaw County Parks Commission committed to the $250,000 in funds needed for the Built to Play Skatepark Grant match. Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo says, "Ypsilanti Township is proud to partner with Built to Play, Washtenaw County Parks and Ypsilanti Township Parks & Recreation to make a state of the art skatepark a huge recreation attraction for not only Eastern Washtenaw County but for all skaters to learn and test their skills and abilities, most of all it is great outdoor recreation. Our township board and park commission enthusiastically supported donating the land for this great asset.”
"The Ypsilanti Township CommUNITY Skatepark project is a great example of why the Built to Play Skatepark Grant initiative was created. The partnership between the Washtenaw County Parks Commission, Ypsilanti Township, and community members has resulted in a free, safe, and incredible place for young people to get active outdoors," says Trevor Staples, Built to Play Skatepark Manager with The Skatepark Project.
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Contact:
Meghan Bonfiglio
Deputy Director
Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
[email protected]
734-971-6337 x 328
Photo Credit: Bryan Mitchell
Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, founded in 1973, currently manages 14 parks and 33 nature preserves totaling more than 6,000 acres. Washtenaw County Parks provides recreational and nature-based programming. Visit us at washtenaw.org/parks on Facebook and Instagram, or call 734-971-6337.