New skate plaza starts site work, shares updated design

A new skate park years in the making has started taking shape at Nelson Park.

The city of Sioux Falls has done initial site grading on the land at 10th Street and Cliff Avenue, with the goal of finishing its portion of the project by the end of September, said Tory Miedema, park development specialist.

“This is the first modern concrete skate park in Sioux Falls,” he said.

This week will bring underground and utility work.

“We also do have some blasting to do,” Miedema added.

Barb Iverson Skate Plaza, named in memory of middle school teacher Barb Iverson, is a partnership between the city, which contributed $800,000, and the nonprofit Let’s Skate, the former Sioux Falls Skatepark Association, which raised $1.65 million.

At 20,000 square feet, it will rank among the country’s largest skate parks.

“Now that construction is underway, and there’s a big ol’ hole in the ground where the skate park will be … it’s totally surreal,” said Alix Johnson, who is on the board of directors at Let’s Skate.

“It wouldn’t be a construction project without a few surprises along the way, but we’re taking them in stride with the help of a great team that is passionate about the project.”

The city’s work will include the parking lot expansion, lighting and sidewalks.

Let’s Skate contracted with New Line Skateparks, a Canadian firm that specializes in skate park design and construction, to take over after the city completes its portion of the project.

The state-of-the-art park will feature a flow bowl area with spaces designed for skateboarders of all abilities, including an advanced section, a rock terrace feature, street plaza lane and grind rails.

While the nonprofit anticipated some inflationary increases as it did initial fundraising, Johnson said no one could have predicted how much prices would go up.

“Our commitment to providing the park Sioux Falls was promised and deserves will require additional fundraising,” Johnson said.

“Let’s Skate has an incredibly talented and dedicated board of directors that are working towards bridging the financial gap.”

Participation during this process has come in many different forms, she added.

“From fundraising to skate lessons, art shows and pop-up skate parks — all of which are special in their own way,” Johnson said.

Let’s Skate has scheduled a formal groundbreaking at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 21 to kick off New Line Skatepark’s portion of the build at Nelson Park.

The goal is to open the plaza in June 2024.

Johnson said working with the team at New Line has brought community involvement to the next level and that the business has utilized public input well during the design process.

“So between the design and fundraising process, the Barb Iverson Skate Plaza is something that we can truly say Sioux Falls built,” Johnson said. “Absolutely plan on a celebration once the park is complete, but at this point, we’re stoked to just have a hole in the ground.”

Middle school teacher’s memory will live on at future skate park