In 2004, the City of Imperial Beach was forced to dismantle its only skate park, as the wooden ramps had deteriorated to the point of being unsound for safe use. In 2007, the City of Imperial Beach hired Site Design Group, Inc, a skate park design firm, to work with the community to develop a set of options for constructing a new local skate park, including potential sites, sample designs, and costs estimates.

With over 100 local residents in attendance, Site Design Group, Inc. presented these options with their recommendations to the Imperial Beach City Council in January of 2008. To the elation of those residents in attendance, the Council voted 5-0 to approve the firm’s recommended site for the new skate park.  At that time, the council allocated $65,000 for the skate park, with the understanding that the city would work with community residents to secure additional funding.

In March, 2008, a group of local residents launched IB 4 a Skate Park, a community group dedicated to working in partnership with the City of Imperial Beach to fundraise for the skate park. Shortly thereafter, this group secured an additional $50,000 from the County of San Diego for the park.

IB 4 a Skate Park is now working to raise the additional $135,000 needed for the skate park. The City of Imperial Beach has established a special fund to hold all contributions to the skate park.

Need
There is a large and growing number of skateboarders in Imperial Beach, reflecting a national trend of the increasing popularity of this sport. According to American Sports Data, Inc., there are 12.5 million skateboarders across the country today, up by 60% from less than a decade ago.

The rise of skateboarding as a popular sport is a positive development for the young people in our community. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Prevention, youth that participate in sports and recreational activities are less likely to engage in youth criminal activities and are more likely to reach academic success. While we continue to face beach closures due to sewage contamination from Mexico, a local skate park will provide a viable alternative to surfing when the beach is closed.

Furthermore, skateboarding provides a much needed form of vigorous exercise at a time when childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In San Diego County, the rate of children who are overweight is 25.8%, well above the national average of 16%. Latino and African American children youth are even heavier on average than their white and Asian counterparts. In Imperial Beach, where nearly 30% of our residents are under the age of 18 and 69% of our youth are either Latino or African American, it is vital that we expand the array of recreational activities for our kids, by building a local skate park.

Though there are a few skate parks within the South Region of the County, many families in Imperial Beach are faced with transportation challenges, particularly youth, which makes it difficult for them to take advantage of other parks in nearby communities. In the absence of a local skate park, many of our local youth make use of curbs, stairs, railings and other concrete features throughout the city to skate. While skateboarders are just trying to have fun, businesses, residents and community leaders have become increasingly concerned about costly property damage caused by skateboarding. A new skate park would help to address this problem by providing kids with a local venue for skateboarding.

While the City of Imperial Beach has committed to building a new skate park to meet the needs of its residents, it does not yet have the funding necessary to undertake the project. In fact, the city is one of the poorest in San Diego County, with a median household income of $38,068 (36% below the County median) and 14% of its families living in poverty. In light of these financial challenges, community residents have joined the city to raise additional funds for the skate park from public and private sources.

Your support is critical to helping attain the necessary funding to build the first-ever concrete skate park in Imperial Beach.

Budget and Timeline
The estimated cost for building the 5,000 square foot skate park is $250,000. The park will be constructed in a combination type street/plaza/transition style. The park will be located on Imperial Beach Boulevard in Sports Park, across from Mar Vista High School. Features include banks, quarter pipe extensions, stairs with handrails and grind ledges.

Local residents are currently working to secure funds for the skate park through contributions from federal and state grants, foundations, corporate sponsors and individuals. Their goal is to raise $135,000 by December, 2008. The City has established a special fund for all contributions to the park. If all goes as planned, City staff will seek potential bids from potential construction contractors in late 2008, with the goal of breaking ground in early 2009.  The target date for completion of the skate park is June 2009.