Lockport NY

LUSJ reported on city funding some repairs at the Outwater skatepark. I'd like to comment on the location of the park. At first thought locating it in an existing park is a good idea. The problem is it comes up short in regards to spin off growth and local store spending (if the park is located far from them).



If the park was located in a lot DT, we'd have a number of people patronizing the skate park who would have the opportunity to walk/skate over to a store/restaurant to spend some money. We'd also have another piece of a livelier, more interesting DT. Many of my summer days as a youth were spent skateboarding in the pocket park at the corner of Cazenovia and Seneca streets in the City of Buffalo. We'd be there from 10am until dinner time. Each day we'd pry spend $10-15 each day for drinks, snacks, lunch etc. at the stores along Seneca St.


Conversely, I had a second stint in my early 20s going to Bikes Blades and Boards skate park in Wheatfield when I went through my roller blade phase (nothing quite like a kid half your age taunting you to drop in the 16' half pipe for the first time). My point to highlight here was that there was nothing much was around it. We'd park, skate and leave with no money spent nearby.


Children should be an integral part of the activity DT. They have money to spend and we should be creating within them a vested interest in the city to ensure they continue to care about it and someday hopefully choose to invest in it