It’s now official: construction has started on the Newport Public Skatepark at John Chaffee Boulevard. The Friends of Newport Skatepark (FONS) held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 31 at the active construction site. FONS and Newport officials gathered around to celebrate the beginning steps of building Rhode Island’s first modern skatepark.
“Today marks an incredible moment in the history of our community as we gather for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Newport Skatepark. It’s an honor to stand before you, surrounded by individuals who share a passion for skateboarding and a vision for the future of this city,” Paul Marshall, the Vice President of FONS board of directors, says. “For years, our skateboarding community has longed for a space that reflects the dedication, creativity, and love for this sport. What started as a Rogers High School senior project some ten-plus years ago to today has been a journey, to say the least.”
Some, like Sid Abbruzzi, one of the directors of FONS and the owner of Water Brothers surf and skate shop, remember a time when some community members talked about a new skatepark, even before the Rogers High School senior project lent the dream renewed interest. “We’ve been doing this for a long time,” decades, he says. “Believe it or not, we had ramps at Braga Park [but] the struggle to have a city park that was really representative was hard.” Lack of community support and understanding, as well as construction and design problems have all plagued various skateparks and skatepark concepts on the island.
In 2016, Tim Boucher from Rogers High School brought attention to the decaying and dangerous skatepark that was located at Easton’s Beach, and lamented the fact that it was not accessible by Newport kids. Now, after years of meetings, talks, fundraising, problem-solving, and designing, the approximately 19,000 square foot park is finally under construction. Marshall personally thanked Matt Viana from Millstone Engineering, Jacob Butterworth from Sage Environment, Ethan from Daponte, and Jerry, AJ, Josh and others from Kirby Construction for their time and labor to this project. Jerry Kirby of Kirby Construction and the Daponte team “are going to be here for the next six weeks. Spohn Ranch [a skatepark construction and design firm] is on site at the end of June, and there’s a ninety-day build,” explains Marshall.
“This skatepark isn’t just about concrete ramps and rails. It’s about providing a safe and inclusive environment where skaters of all ages, skill levels, can come together, push boundaries, and express themselves, freely. It’s about fostering a sense of belonging and comradery among our community members. But beyond that, the Newport Skatepark represents progress. It’s a testament to our city’s commitment to supporting alternative sports and recreational activities. It’s a symbol to our dedication of investing in the wellbeing and happiness of our residents – especially our youth,” touts Marshall.
Mayor Xaykham “Xay” Khamsyvoravong represented the city at the groundbreaking ceremony. He praised FONS for their hard work, dedication, and perseverance to see this project come to light. “[You] carried through one of the most important lessons any of us who have ever skated have learned through a lot of road rashes and bruises: which is that it takes a long time to get something like this done, and just keep persevering until you push through,” he says. The mayor reiterated Marhsall’s sentiments about supporting Newport’s youth by showing “the next generation on how you overcome and tackle any challenge, whether it’s that next big rail or something as massive as this project.”
The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is expected to be held sometime in the weeks of September and October of this year. Until then, as Marshall says, “Let the countdown to the grand opening begin.”
I am so happy to see the groundbreaking for the skate park!