(DES MOINES, Iowa) A skatepark planned along the Principal Riverwalk near Wells Fargo Arena will be called the Lauridsen Regional Skatepark, after Nix and Virginia Lauridsen, who are donating $1 million to the project from the Lauridsen Family Foundation.
Crews are expected to break ground on the $3.5 million skatepark this fall. It is expected to open in the summer of 2019. Organizers have raised nearly $2.5 million toward the project to date.
Officials held a news conference today (Wednesday) in Des Moines, to publicly thank the Lauridsens and other donors. Officials with AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy) say the idea of a skatepark was first suggested more than a decade ago, as a way to improve outdoor recreation options for young people.
Backers say the skatepark will be world-class, and will attract tens of thousands of skateboarders to Des Moines, to attend regional and national skateboarding competitions.
Marco Daines, a student at Des Moines Roosevelt was among the speakers at the event. The avid skateboarder tells WHO Radio News, he's excited about the plans and can't wait for the skatepark to open.
"There's a few bowls that I might like to ride in, a pool, and then a couple street features like stairs and rails that I might want to try," said Daines.
(Picture below L-R: Virginia Lauridsen, Nix Lauridsen, Former Des Moines City Council member Christine Hensley, Polk County Supervisor Angela Connelly, Skatepark Co-chair Brad Anderson, Des Moines Police Dana Wingert, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie)