For the extreme sports community on Staten Island that wishes for an indoor skate park built, Project Spark was born. Staten Island’s extreme sports community is stricken to streets overrun by potholes, glass, rocks and speeding cars. The extreme sports community is left to ride business storefronts, parking lots and public school playgrounds, where more often than not, complaints are made and we are immediately kicked out. There is also the Ben Soto Skate Park at Midland Beach that is filled to capacity and feeding the need for a new skate facility.
Societal problems occur when inadequate facilities and/or challenging activities are not available for young people to participate in. Skateboarding and BMX riding cannot be done in the rain, when it’s excessively hot, or in the dark, cold winter months. With these stipulations, we are open to loitering charges, growing obesity and serious injuries on the streets such as broken bones, concussions and even death. Concussions and broken bones tend to be a common occurrence here on Staten Island’s roads.
Additionally, peer pressure into drugs and alcohol cannot be controlled on the streets. Having a refuge for teenagers can curb such behavior drastically as well as inhibit anger and depression in kids and young adults.
Staten Island’s first indoor skate park would provide a safe environment year round. Parents would know their children are safe indoors. This park would be the first and only public indoor skate park in the five boroughs at this time.
Ultimately, this proposal puts forth a possible site location for a skate park to occupy underutilized space of the vacant airplane hangar located in Miller Field, Staten Island.
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