For weeks, eager skaters have been illegally hopping construction fences to tool around the Logan Boulevard Skate Park. No longer. After four years of debate, design controversy and delays, the city’s highly anticipated first covered skate park, at 2430 West Logan Boulevard under the Kennedy Expressway, had its soft opening today, according to Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner. The park features modular obstacles installed on a concrete base.
In the latest drama, the Logan Square Concerned Citizens were, uh, concerned about street artists tagging the yet-to-be-opened park with markers, stickers and even etching acid. But what people like the LSCC’s Larry Ligas, who said tagging is “defacing our community,” don’t understand is that it’s the baptism of any new skate park. Skateboarding, like graffiti, is part of street culture. By opening a public skate park, you run the risk of getting a little street in your park.
Logan Square activist Mark Heller, one of the park’s earliest and most vocal proponents, tells me he’s meeting with the Illinois Department of Transportation (whose land the park sits on), the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Public Art Group about how to spruce up the drab concrete space so street artists won’t be tempted by the highly visible blank canvases.
But, Heller writes in an e-mail, “the biggest ‘potential concern’ isn’t tagging; it’s figuring out coexistence of two distinct user groups—skaters for whom this park was primarily designed, and BMX bikers. Let Chicago’s kids skate. Let them skate late. Give them a chance to use and be responsible for their innovative park.”
There is NO problem with BMXers and skaters. We’re both there to just have fun. The ramps are designed to be used for bikes and skateboards alike. Any so called “problems” between bikers and skaters is purely superficial and made up by insurance companies.
Really? The old bmx/skater rivalry thing? This isn’t high school. Both have a right to ride as long as they do it in a responsible manner. Well, as responsible you can get in a skatepark.
Well said Kyle
I’ve been LOVING this park and spending hours skating it. Everyone is cool with each other. Major thanks to the city and organizers for building this park! Is there going to be an “official” grand opening ceremony? If so, what date is it scheduled for?
You can see some pictures of the park over on snakeboarder [dot] com.
Best way to keep it from being tagged? Keep it open all night. It’s well lit and us night owls can scare away the kids and their spray cans.
great to see this drab space being used for something fun in the neighborhood. the underpass itself could also use some sprucing…walking under neath it i noticesd this is definitely where pigeons go to die. i agree with the previous comment that it should stay well lit at night and could serve as a great summer hangout when it cools down at night. my only concern was distracted drivers rounding that curve trying to catch a glimpse of the fun.
Hey, which Blue Line Stop is closest to the Logan Skate Park?
Thanks Kit
what a waste of a good space. NO CONCRETE?!?!? give me a break
Kit…from the Western Blue Line stop head north and cross Logan Blvd. It’s on your left. 10 blocks or so
The best park in chicago to me…..
This park is a HUGE disappointment!! A concrete park could have been built by a competent skatepark design/build crew that would have given Chicago a world class skatepark. Instead Chicago politics prevailed and we have an overpriced pre-fab park with exposed metal seams, uneven pipe coping and harsh transitions that will be in tatters by this time next year if not sooner. But hey, Mark Heller got his “jewel” and all the special volunteer awards that go with it. Chicago almost got it right but not quite.
Haven’t been there yet, but if it’s true that city wasted this good space then it’s a shame. Weren’t any local skaters allowed any input on the design? I think it’s time we get a private INDOOR park going so that we don’t have to rely on the city or it’s politics to have a place of our own.
new to the area, so how is this neighborhood for late night sesh ? , prob alone as i know no fellow skaters here. shady-factor ?
This is by far the best park within a 30 minute radius!(Glenview is the absolute best though!) Chicago already built 2 concrete parks that are TERRIBLE. Please do not ask for yet another one! Yes, I think the city could have chosen a better quality ramp manufacturer. Glenview, Wheaton, Naperville and many others chose to go with the company True Ride. And every True Ride park I’ve ever been to, the ramps are solid and extremely durable under the duress of heavy skating. Logan is the best Chicago park thusfar, but yes, always room for improvement. And what about that area in Grant Park? It would be nice to have True Ride come and put in a mini ramp and a launch box. Thanks to Red Bull for leaving that combo grind box thing!
Really Kara? Logan is the best? and both concrete parks are terrible? Apparently you dont skate concrete because WILSON is 1000 times better than Logan. Logan is where we go when our Wilson sessions get rained out. Give us a break. Logan was a band aid over the bleeding wound that is our skate park situation.