Skate Park Project Meets Fundraising Goal

Noelle Maxwell

A project to revitalize the Decatur County Skate Park by commissioning an artist to paint murals on the ramps has met its fundraising goal of $10,000, raising a total of $10,050. Skate Park ReVAMP, a partnership between Visit Greensburg and the Decatur County Arts and Cultural Council began raising money earlier this year after the Arts Council received a $5,000 grant from the Indiana Arts Commission Creative Convergence program. The project was also eligible for an Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority CreatINg Places matching funds grant – the $5,0000 IAC grant paired with $10,000 raised and $10,000 in the IHCDA’s matching funds grant will be sufficient to cover all costs needed for completion.

 The skate park was selected because it’s located in a growing area near the Youth Sports Complex, Decatur County Park, the Decatur County 4-H Fair Grounds and more. According to the IHCDA, the Skate Park ReVAMP project was described as follows in the application, “this project will revitalize the community’s only skate park – unchanged since 2004 – by commission murals on the sides of its ramps. Funding will support artist fees, materials and installation. The updated space will celebrate creativity, enhance a heavily used recreational area and create a more welcoming environment for youth and visitors as broader improvements continue.” A survey was conducted by the Arts Council in February asking members of the community which color palette they preferred for the park.

Decatur County Skate Park was completed in 2004 and opened March 20 that year, according to a March 6, 2004 Greensburg Daily News article. The park cost $107,000 to build and was mostly funded through donations. Ramps were from Rhino Skate Equipment and constructed from what was described in the March 2004 article as “a smooth system similar to Masonite that’s PVC coated, reversible and water resistant.” The park itself is situated on a concrete surface poured earlier that year. Local students and business had collaborated for two years in the early 2000s to make the park a reality, with local skaters at the time attending public meetings to advocate for the park.

There was feedback on social media posts made by Visit Greensburg and the Arts Council stating that the skate park needs more than newly painted ramps, with some posts stating the concrete is eroded and hazardous to skaters –  Visit Greensburg Executive Director Erica Gunn said she is aware of that feedback, saying, “we spoke with the Parks and Recreation Department and they brought up that this is a park that we’d like to do,” and it doesn’t eliminate the possibility of future skate park projects. “It’s on our radar at some point – we’re not doing anything right now about it. We want to use what we have, for now, with the money that we have. It’s a really cool park, too. We don’t want to tear up what’s already there.” Gunn believes the park will “look a lot prettier,” once painted, saying she feels the community deserves “to have at least a more attractive area.”