PUEBLO, Colorado — With just a little more concrete, Bryan Rivera sees a way to get multiple uses out of the underutilized basketball half-court at Moynihan Park.
"The ramps would be off the court,” he says pointing to grassy areas that surround the concrete slabs.
He envisions two quarter-pipe ramps facing each other from opposite sides of the court. Skateboarders and cyclists could then roll across the back portion of the court.
Rivera’s nonprofit group Morning Star Creations wants to create more skatable spaces in Pueblo.
“More skatable biking terrain just to promote good movement,” he said.
Parks director Steven Meier knows skateboarding options are somewhat limited in Pueblo.
"We have two skate parks here in the community, and they're pretty much destinations," Meier said. "You've got to drive to them for the most part.”
That makes Rivera’s idea appealing. It creates new amenities at exiting neighborhood parks.
The City council agreed to spend $45,000 of COVID relief money to build the new skateboarding features at Moynihan and J. J. Raigoza Parks, and to update some of the features at the Sgt. Blake Harris Skate Park in City Park.
Meier admits it’s a small amount of money.
“I think a lot of (the money) is for materials, basic materials like the forms, the wood,” he said.
He and Meier hope to recruit young people willing to give their time to learn a new trade skill. Rivera is a professional carpenter who helped build some the features at the Memorial Park skate park in Colorado Springs.
“Bring them in as part of a job training project where we can teach these kids or young adults, to work with concrete and make these skateboard art features and they get some hands-on training in the meantime as well as doing some improvements to our parks,” Meier said.
Construction should begin later this fall. Anyone interested in signing up to help should contact Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department at 719-553-2790.
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