New Renderings Of Turf Skatepark Released

GREENFIELD, WI — The Turf Skatepark released photo renderings Tuesday of what its final resurrected skatepark could look like with the design being directly inspired by the old park.

The public can review photo renderings and submit their opinions online. There will also be an in-person informational meetup at the Wauwatosa Skatepark Sunday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. There is still time for the final design to be decided on, so the public can still propose changes.

The skatepark would be located at 4239 West Loomis Road in Greenfield, the same location as the original skatepark. Construction could begin as early as next spring, a spokesperson from the City of Greenfield said. The park would be free to use.

History Of The Skatepark's Revival

The site of the new Turf Skatepark is nothing new. At least it wouldn't be for the old-timers in the local skateboarding community. The site was a skateboard park in the 70s, one of only a few in the whole country, but it was closed in 1996 and more or less forgotten.

Forgotten, that is, until in 2010 a highway construction crew dug up the site it used to be at, sparking a new wave of support for revival, The Journal Sentinel reported.

The highway crew's discovery of the old skateboard park's bowls sparked an impromptu resurrection of the site — skateboarders unburied and rode the park like the olden days until only hours later, highway crews covered the site back up, according to the Journal Sentinel.

The brief discovery then reburial was the spark the original skatepark needed to begin its resurrection process over a decade ago. After the site was reburied, hundreds of letters and calls supporting the park filtered in, leading to a promise from Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke to rebuild the park, according to the Turf website.

Save the Turf, a local nonprofit group, got working immediately toward reviving the park. The organization was lucky enough to receive help from a fundraising group that donates money toward initiatives that the band Pearl Jam admires.

The in-person discussion on the park's design will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Wauwatosa Skatepark located at 7300 W Chestnut Street in Wauwatosa. The website is open for public comment and suggestions on the design.