EDINBURG — City leaders here held a groundbreaking event Friday in celebration of a new skate park being constructed at the northeast corner of Edinburg’s South Park.
Edinburg officials said this project will be the largest skate park in the Rio Grande Valley at more than 12,000 square feet and is expected to be completed in four weeks.
“I always say this and I say it time and time again, I wish that people would listen,” Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina said at Friday’s event, “but Edinburg is the fastest growing city in the RGV, and we’re constantly looking for ways to grow.
“Today, we’re extremely excited to be part of this groundbreaking which is going to be located here by our municipal pool, tennis courts and activity center, so this is the hub.”
Designed by Spohn Ranch Skateparks, a construction and design company based out of Los Angeles, the design will consider skaters’ various skill sets.
The skate park will consist of a bowl with multi-sections, a beginner horseshoe bowl, quarter-pipes, grind rails and multi-tiered steps.
In contrast with the city’s already existing skate park on Bicentennial, which has half pipes and ramps made of steel, the new park is planned to be all concrete with spectator benches on two sides of the park.
Once the new skate park is open, Edinburg plans to temporarily close the Bicentennial Park in order to resurface it as its concrete is currently cracked and bumpy.
Local and regional skaters also have a hand in the creation of the new park as they’ve been giving the city feedback on what they want and what they would like to see in the future.
“My friend saw a post on Instagram and had invited me to go check out the new park,” Hector Gonzalez, a 15-year-old skater from Mercedes, said at the Bicentennial Park in Edinburg on Saturday. “… I think it’s going to be very cool.”
Edinburg City Manager Ron Garza cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to build the new park as these amenities were one of the only public places allowed to be enjoyed by residents during lockdown.
He not only got his children into skating but took the opportunity to learn more during the last year.
“Our weekend trips would just consist of going to skate parks … in the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi, Portland, we went to the ones in Houston … San Antonio, and all I did was observe how these parks were used,” Garza said during the groundbreaking. “So, I got feedback here and I got feedback there.”
Garza also noted that the concept art for the park shown is missing light posts, water fountains and restrooms as those amenities will come later once construction of the park is finished.
The city wanted to focus and budget entirely on the park itself first.
