The City of Rochester has set aside $100,000 out of there 2017 budget for the Roc City skatepark effort.
The City’s goal is to have the site selected and a consultant on board this Fall and to install some temporary/portable skate features in an area in or close to downtown by summer 2017 as we continue planning for the permanent site.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It DOES NOT mean that the board gets a check for $100,000 to spend on what ever it feels best.
It DOES NOT mean we get to spend money on concrete for a DIY skatepark.
It DOES NOT mean we can buy t-shirts and pay for fundraising materials needed to raise money for the park.
It DOES mean we can ask the City to spend it on things like design plans, soil studies, feasibility studies, and construction of temporary and permanent skate obstacles.
We are very thankful for this gift and see it as a solid sign of further commitment from the city towards our end goal. (With this latest designation, they now have dedicated over $150,000 of tax payer money to the project.)
Trust us, we understand that people are confused and frustrated by this process, but this is how things work when working with ANY city government. It is normal for any city to take this long when building a skatepark on the level we are aiming for. (FYI, Boston took 15 years to get their park!), but we’ve seen a lot of progress with the City this year. Let’s keep this moving forward!
Alan Presutti,
President,
Friends of the Roc City Park