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Thanks to the efforts of Community Board 1, and funding secured through Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., (D-Astoria), skaters in Western Queens are getting a place of their own to grind and thrash their way to cuts, bumps and bruises.
The new skate park, to be located below the Hell’s Gate Bridge, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Plans are to break ground by early May. The park will be situated under the bridge, adjacent to the East River so as to not disturb local, non-skater residents.

Previously, young skaters have used Athens Square Park to practice their noisy activity, sometimes to the displeasure of un-wheeled park goers. Now skaters, both young and old,
will have a place of their own to ride.

“It will be good. Will be a beautiful park,” said Community Board One District Manager George Delis.

As a former youth counselor, Delis has long favored construction of the park.

“Kids can go there and play, and yell and have a good time,” he said.

Delis first proposed building the park almost 10 years ago and said he is “very pleased Vallone accepted the plan and worked to get it built.”

The park is estimated to cost $1.29 million, of which Vallone claims to have secured approximately 1,050,000.
The project, the first of its kind in New York City, will create a location in Astoria Park resembling an urban plaza, offering a place for skaters to have fun and exercise without bothering pedestrians or residents.

Vallone was positively pleased about the announcement.
“This project will give kids a place to skate that is far away from the busy sidewalks and parks where they sometimes inconvenience other people, especially seniors,” Vallone said. “These kids will be outside, exercising and enjoying themselves. I’m happy to provide them with a venue to skate rather than sit in front of a TV playing video games.”

For Vallone, the project began almost four years ago when he noticed that a large section of land beneath the Hell’s Gate Bridge was fenced off, and strewn with unused construction equipment. Upon further investigation, Vallone’s office discovered that the lease of the construction company using the land had expired, and he asked the Parks Department not to renew it.

In July 2007, the company was told to remove its equipment, and the site was cleared and prepared for construction to take place months later. It now sits as a vacant, open area primed from work to begin.

“I have been working to bring this project to Astoria for a
long time. It is fulfilling to see something go from an idea to a completion during my term as a Council Member,” Vallone said. “Before, all we had here was trucks and equipment. Now, we will have a great park for kids to come and have fun.”

The park will feature benches, rails and ledges specifically designed for skaters. None of the park’s ramps will be larger than three feet high, meant to reduce risk of injury and crowd size.