MEMPHIS, TN - More than 100 people stood in the rain Thursday afternoon, June 16, 2011, for the groundbreaking of Memphis' newest recreational hot spot, the Memphis Skate Park.
The city has been working on the skate park for four years. The park will be on Avery in Midtown Memphis, behind the Memphis Board of Education Building and next to the city's dog park. It's part of the push to keep kids outdoors and keep the city healthy.
The park will have two bowls, one up to seven feet. It will also have a snake run, and ramps and rails for all experience levels.
Mayor A C Wharton says this is another positive step for the city, "Eventually they're going to say that city is improving." The Mayor says, "Maybe I'm naive, but I have to believe eventually the cumulative effect of what we're doing will get noticed and that's why I feel good about it."
Aaron Shaffer's been working with the city for years to build the park in Memphis. He says, "There are a lot of people around here that have wanted a park since the 1970's when the last one shut down, this is an amazing day, I can't believe it's happening."
The park is scheduled to open in December, 2011.
