Pop-up skate park coming to Bde Maka Ska this summer

Posted on 30 March, 2022

Park Trades staff will create skate park reusing salvaged parts from prior park construction projects in north parking lot

A new temporary skate park is coming to Bde Maka Ska this summer! The ‘pop-up’ skate park will be installed in May or June in the eastern third of the north parking lot along Lake Street.

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Trades staff will fabricate and install skate features using salvaged parts from old park equipment, along with new potential precast concrete ramps and quarter pipes built by the MPRB Cement Shop.

You can help design the skate park! Knowledgeable and interested skaters are encouraged to provide feedback on salvage and concrete features used in the skatepark, as well as the priority, sequencing, and phasing of the features in the available space.

There are two ways to do this: Either use the link below to take an online survey, or attend an in-person Open House on Tuesday, April 26, 5:30-7 pm at the site of the future skate park (North Bde Maka Ska parking lot).

BMS Skate Park Online Survey

The online survey closes April 11. The skate park is expected to remain in place through 2023, then skate park’s condition and use will be evaluated.

Project History

Last year unpermitted skateboarding features appeared at the northeast corner of Bde Maka Ska, which interfered with vendor operations nearby. The skateboarding features had to be removed, but the MPRB understands they were very popular and there’s a lot of interest in a skate park near the lake.

MPRB staff worked with local skateboarding advocacy group City of Skate to review several potential skate park locations within Bde Maka Ska Park and identified space for a temporary, or “pop-up,” skate park in a section of the north parking lot.

MPRB Trades staff agreed to create new skate features from parts saved from past park construction projects to help lower costs and bring the project to fruition.

Since the Skate Park Activity Plan was completed in 2018, the largest skate park in the Minneapolis park system opened at Elliot Park last summer and plans are moving forward for a new skate park at Painter Park, expected to open by 2023.