City of Evansville Secures Funds for Downtown Skatepark

The City of Evansville is moving forward with a brand new, concrete skate park along the riverfront downtown.

In a joint press release from the Sunset Skatepark Project Organizer Volunteer, Heather Vaught, and Interim Parks Department Director, Evansville Deputy Mayor, Steve Schaefer, the city has been approved $650,000 bringing the total raised for the project, which includes donations raised through fundraisers and corporate donations, to $800,000.

The park will be located where the former Sunset Park stood for many years, between Mickey's Kingdom Playground and the Evansville Water and Sewer Utilities Water Pump Project currently under construction.

Get our free mobile app

Currently, the only other official skatepark in the city is Lamasco Skatepark just off Columbia Street. That park, which was completed in 2001, is currently in disrepair and unable to be fixed according to the Sunset Skatepark Facebook page. What will become of that park once the new park is completed is unknown.

The push for a new skatepark has been underway for over a decade by skateboarders and BMX bikers who have been looking for a safe and fun location to enjoy their favorite pastime. The new park will be all-wheel accessible, meaning those on skateboards, bikes, foot-powered scooters, rollerblades, and even wheelchairs will be able to use it.

While a start date for construction was not announced in Wednesday's press release, the park is expected to be completed and open to the public by next summer.

For more information on Sunset Skatepark, visit their website and Facebook page.

[Source: Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation Press Release / Sunset Skatepark on Facebook]

BACK IN THE DAY: Do You Remember What These Evansville Businesses Used To Be?

On this Throwback Thursday, let's take a stroll down memory lane to see if you remember what used to be located at these Evansville Businesses.

SEE: How Downtown Evansville Has Changed Over the Years

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.