The City of Port St. Lucie has postponed the ribbon cutting to celebrate the official opening of the refurbished Skate City due to inclement weather. The ribbon cutting is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m.
Skate City, located in Whispering Pines Park at 800 SW Darwin Blvd., closed to skateboarding in 2010. However, a recent resurgence in interest by local roller and in-line skaters sparked a renewed commitment to breathe new life into the space.
The revitalized Skate City is geared toward outdoor roller and inline skating. This is the City of Port St. Lucie's first outdoor, public skating rink.
The City would like to thank the many residents and community members who helped bring this idea to life, especially those from the St. Lucie Skaters group. These residents recognized a new use for the area and worked with the City's Parks and Recreation Department to make it a reality.
Originally constructed in 1999, Skate City was a vibrant skateboard facility featuring above-ground elements like ramps and half-pipes. Unfortunately, as the years passed the skate park’s features deteriorated and became costly to repair, ultimately leading to its closure in 2010.
Last year, members of a community group began roller and in-line skating at the former facility and reached out to the City to request the lights be turned on. Mayor Shannon Martin took note of the skaters’ interest and championed the effort to have the area resurfaced.
“This project is a wonderful example of how residents and the City can work together to create opportunities that benefit the community,” Mayor Martin said. “We are excited to see Skate City once again be a place for people to gather, to have fun with friends and family, and to enjoy the quality of life Port St. Lucie has to offer.”
The Parks and Recreation Department completely resurfaced the area to improve the skaters’ experience. Covering roughly 39,000 square feet, the newly renovated Skate City is now ready to welcome skaters of all ages and skill levels. The facility will operate daily from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., when lights will be turned off.
Admission to Skate City is free of charge. The City will no longer be accepting reservations for its use.
The public and the press are invited to join us to celebrate the refurbished Skate City's ribbon cutting.
The community also is invited to join the City for a Valentine's Day Skate Party from 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 14 to kick off the Love Your Block program. The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University has chosen the City of Port St. Lucie to receive Love Your Block grants to fund resident-led, neighborhood revitalization projects in the Whispering Pines neighborhood.