Skating through options

As plans for the rehabilitation of the Las Cruces Skate Park, 151 N. Walnut St., move forward, the community is reminded it can continue to provide input relating to the recommended options outlined in the final assessment report at www.las-cruces.org/LCSkatePark. Comments can be submitted to ParksandRecAdmin@las-cruces.org by 11:59 p.m. on November 23.

Legislative capital outlay funding in the amount of $845,000 was approved in February 2020 for rehabilitation of the existing skate park. Funding was received by City Council in October.

The Parks and Recreation Department presented a project update at a City Council work session on November 9 where the feasibility of the recommended options within the limited budget was discussed. The park assessment offers suggestions for improving the current elements and safety of the existing park or a complete rebuilt of the entire park, which is more costly but may reduce maintenance and repair in the long run. (The city has plans to build a new skate park and has received capital outlay funding of $100,000 to begin the project. Start date has not been determined.) The City Council work session can be seen on CLCTV20.

The Las Cruces Skate Park was built by community volunteers in 1998. The 33,000-square-foot park is considered large even by modern standards and was built by the community at a time when professional design was not readily available and safety standards for skate parks had not been regulated. The final assessment report outlines the issues in design, construction and safety that will need to be addressed to rehabilitate the aging park.

For more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 575/541-2550 or email ParksandRecAdmin@las-cruces.org.