City constructs Manhattan Beach Skateboarding Park

By Ryan Ulrich

Assistant Managing Editor

The Manhattan Beach Skateboarding Park which was approved by city council last year, is currently being constructed at the corner of Marine Avenue Park and is projected to be finished by late January.

Initially the park was planned to be finished in Dec. of 2016, in order to qualify for a $300,000 Los Angeles County Safe Neighborhood Parks grant. However, the park’s construction has been postponed due to the high amounts of recent rainfall.

“Currently the project has a completion date in January, and the grant will still remain valid, however it looks like further rain delays are expected,” Director of Parks and Recreation Mark Leyman said. “The construction is moving along and concrete pours have been completed on the wings and rear retaining wall.”

Photos: City constructs Manhattan Beach Skateboarding Park 

The city began building the park in September. Initially, it was believed that the grant would pay for the entire construction of the skatepark. However, when Spohn Ranch Skateparks was chosen as the company who would be building the park, the cost went up by $170,000. This additional cost will be paid for by the city’s capital improvement fund. 

Video: The Manhattan Beach Skatepark is currently being constructed at the corner of Marine Park. Spohn Ranch Skateparks, the construction team that is creating the park, have been building the park since September. 

“It’s exciting that despite problems, the city is still making the park,” Costa Senior skateboarder Robbie Itzinger said. “Initially it seemed like the city didn’t support skateboarding but they seem focused to get the park finished.”

Article from the construction company, Spohn Ranch Skateparks, showing the progress of the creation of the park. 

When the park is completed, it will consist of quarter pipes, boxes, rails, a stair set and other skate friendly obstacles. The park will also include safety precautions such as lighting and a net around it to safe skateboarders from getting hit by stray baseballs coming from the field inside Marine Avenue Park.

Photos: The Manhattan Beach skatepark will include a stair section on the north side of the park.

“I can’t wait for the park to be finished,” sophomore skateboarder Chad Parks said. “It will be really nice to have a space to skate where we won’t get in trouble or yelled at.”