Recent News:
August 15, 2011 - CRC and the DCR issued a request for proposals for parties interested in taking on the management of the skatepark.
Click here for the full press release and more information.
Construction on pedestrian bridge in North Point Park is underway. Click here to read about the challenges of building this bridge.
The Charles River Skatepark is a project of the Charles River Conservancy undertaken in close collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Planning started in 2001 and fundraising started in 2004. To date, the Charles River Conservancy has raised $2.5 million for this facility to be built under the ramps of the Zakim Bridge in East Cambridge.
Grindline, an industry leader in skatepark design and construction, came up with a conceptual design, which evolved over several years with the input of some 400 skaters. The design entails about half streetscape elements and 3 bowls with the addition of a vertical cup.
As the financial crisis towards the end of 2008 became increasingly severe, concerns such as the long-term maintenance came to the forefront of the skatepark discussions. As a result, the CRC and the state agencies began to work together to resolve these concerns.
A federal stimulus grant for constructing the North Bank Pedestrian Bridge freed up Big Dig Mitigation funds which can now be used to build the skatepark and 3 other pedestrian bridges, making it easier to access the skatepark . Staging for this North Bank Pedestrian Bridge over the Rail Road tracks has already started connecting the skatepark with Revere Park in Charlestown. The map shows the proposed pedestrian bridges in brown.
While DCR will be responsible for construction, the Charles River Conservancy will remain closely involved to make sure the funds provided by donors produce the skatepark we all have envisioned. In July 2010, the DCR announced they would issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a company or organization to operate and maintain the skatepark.
The Conservancy is helped in these efforts as by its legal advisor Bob Fitzpatrick from Wilmer Hale. Wilmer Hale is providing this service pro-bono. The CRC has also been working with representatives of the skating community to enhance skaters’ participation in areas such as training, volunteering, as well as event organization.
The rendering of the Grindline design has been created by a team of students at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design under the direction of Professor Pierre Belanger. They also created a three-dimensional model of the skatepark that was unveiled at the Charles River Conservancy’s 10th Anniversary celebration where Carolyn and Peter Lynch were honored for their vision and generosity.
In June 2010, the City of Cambridge went on record in support of the plan of EF (Education First) and the Hult International Graduate School of Business to construct a building on the MassDOT surplus land next to the skatepark. The building will be similar in scale and design to the existing EF building nearby. Plans show a café on the ground floor. This building will also provide the possibility to house a skate shop. EF offered to provide six tennis courts located just north of the skatepark. This will increase active use of the Parklands.
While re-organization of state agencies and concern over long-term maintenance due to the recession have delayed the project, we are now at a better place than in 2008. Everybody – funders and skaters, appointed and elected officials, and, of course, the Charles River Conservancy – is anxious to see this park built. We think we have taken a dramatic step forward thanks to the strong partnership with DCR.