Harrisonburg: Westover Skate Park construction to begin in October

The design for the Westover Skate Park in Harrisonburg is now complete, and construction is scheduled to begin this fall.

Harrisonburg Parks & Recreation will work with American Ramp Company to build the 8,509-square-foot amenity at Westover Park in the location of the former skate area starting in October.

The team anticipates the project will be complete and open to the public in spring or summer of 2025.

The new design includes multiple quarterpipes, ledges, A Frames, handrails and more, set around a concrete pad with extra space for beginners to safely warm up or more experienced users to practice tricks.

“We know the Westover Skate Park was a much-beloved gathering place in our community, and we are eager to see it return to The Friendly City,” said Brian Mancini, Harrisonburg Parks & Rec director. “This new layout is going to give users of all experience levels something to enjoy, and we are excited for people to try out the obstacles.”

Harrisonburg Parks & Rec originally began work on the new skate park in March 2023 before pausing the project to better understand and address concerns from community members about the steel obstacles planned for the new park.

A public engagement forum was held in January, where skate park users provided ideas for the new concrete design and obstacles to be included, with two additional input sessions later held with skate park advocates.

Following those meetings and acting on community input, Harrisonburg Parks & Rec reallocated an additional $41,960 from other projects recently completed under budget to extend one of the park’s quarterpipes and add more flat space around the perimeter to accommodate more users.

“We are very grateful to all of those who gave their time and expertise to make sure the final design for this project will be to the liking of as many people as possible in our community,” said Mancini.

“This design is community-driven, and we are looking forward to seeing all the community’s skateboards, bicycles, scooters and rollerblades out in the park when we open next year.”

The skate park, at a complete estimated cost of $501,960, is one of 22 Harrisonburg projects funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act and one of six parks and recreation ARPA projects.