Nicholas DiCarlo
It Feels SO Good to Break Ground on Dallas' ...

City of Dallas broke ground on the Bachman Lake Skatepark on March 28, 2024. See the event highlights here.

It Feels SO Good to Break Ground on Dallas' First Concrete Skatepark at Bachman Lake
Nicholas DiCarlo
Bachman Lake Skatepark Ground Breaking Ceremony ...

Groundbreaking for the Bachman Lake Skatepark with the Mayor of Dallas

Bachman Lake Skatepark Ground Breaking Ceremony - March 28, 2024

Comprehensive History of the Dallas Skatepark Advocacy Process by the Advocate

Sam Gillespie from the Lakewood / East Dallas Advocate provides a comprehensive history of the mission & advocacy for skateparks in Dallas since 2016. He does a fantastic job highlighting that Dallas’s own data says we need skateparks. Full Article Linked Here

Dive into the Advocate’s article to understand the process and realities of skatepark advocacy. But also take away how important all the skaters showing up to the various Glencoe meetings has been, because without you coming and asking for the skatepark, none of this coverage would have happened.

Your voice really does matter in local affairs!


Dallas Morning News Editorial Supports the Glencoe Skatepark in the M Streets

The Editorial Board of the Dallas Morning News lent their support to the Glencoe Skatepark on November 6, 2023. The Dallas Morning News reporters attended several skatepark events regarding Glencoe Park and provide their perspective on the skatepark after hearing arguments from all sides. Skateparks for Dallas appreciates our local newspaper of records attention and consideration on this important matter.

You can contact Skateparks for Dallas at info@skateparksfordallas.org or join our email list

READ THE FULL EDITORIAL HERE

Dallas Needs More Skate facilities, and Glencoe Park would be an ideal location.

Next Chance to Support Skateparks on the 2024 Bond

Tues October 10, 2023 6-7p District 7 (St Francis skatepark) town hall Mtg, Buckner Terrace Montessori

Tues October 10, 2023 6-7p District 1 town hall (Oak Cliff skatepark) at Casa Guanajuato

Wed Oct 11, 2023 6-7p District 14 town hall (Glencoe skatepark) at Oak Lawn Branch Library

If you live in one of the districts listed, your voice is even more impactful! Come with a skateboard!

2024 Bond Election is our Next Big Opportunity! Share your voice!

“Attend a Bond Task Force meeting on August 22, Sept 26 or Oct 3 to get skateparks built in Dallas. 630pm at Dallas City Hall - 1500 Marilla Street”
— Clinton Haley, Founder of Skateparks for Dallas

In 2017, Skateparks for Dallas, working with Dallas City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano, CM Omar Narvaez and Jesse Moreno, we successfully lobbied to have the funding for the Bachman Lake Skatepark on the bond. Because that bond passed a super majority of Dallas voters, we now have funding and a final design for a flagship skatepark! (see the design here).

Time flies when you are having fun, and the planning for a 2024 citywide bond is well underway! Through the tireless advocacy of the Skateparks for Dallas family, we have very positive signals for the 2024 Bond for Parks & Rec.

The first project is the Oak Cliff skatepark, which is also heavily supported by its local community. Read all about it in our prior posts on the Oak Cliff Skatepark page

Second is total revamp of the ultra-popular St. Francis Skatepark at Lakeland Hills Park. We have previously covered this gem (LINK). On the 2024 Bond, we aim to enhance the St. Francis skatepark by getting rid of the old rusty ramps and rebuilding the park in beautiful and smooth, permanent and low maintenance concrete. This is a fabulous park that is deeply loved by the action sports community and nearby neighbors, and it deserves this upgrade.

Third, we may have support for additional funding for an additional park. Its been a long term dream of Skateparks for Dallas to have a skatepark in each council district. Parks & Rec’s own assessment is that Dallas needs 17 skateparks to fulfill all the skating demand we have in the city, and it just so happens we have 14 districts, so that will get us close!

You can support this effort by physically attending the City Bond Taskforce meetings at Dallas City Hall. Bring a skateboard or helmet to show why you are there!

August 22, 2023 —> 6:30pm to 9pm - 1500 Marilla Street

September 26, 2023 —> 6:00pm to 9pm - 1500 Marilla Street

October 3, 2023 —> 6:00pm to 9pm - 1500 Marilla Street!

Join our email list to stay in the know

Oak Cliff Skaters Show Out Big Time

Oak Cliff skaters showed out in droves on a beautiful spring day in Oak Cliff (April 15, 2023) to support the Oak Cliff Skatepark. Over 75 skaters signed the waiver to ride the Magnolia Skate Shop mini ramp. The venue, Camp Bishop at 111 N. Bishop, hosted by Exxir Real Estate was a perfect setting. Thank you to all of our sponsors, especially DJ EZ Eddie D from KNON for keeping the vibes rolling all day. And extra special thanks to Oak Cliff Council Member Chad West!

Check out our Instagram for more photos of an amazing event - PHOTOS 1, PHOTOS 2

Casting Call for DFW Skaters to Appear in a Commercial

Skateparks for Dallas received an email from a local casting company called Cast-O-Matic seeking skateboarders to potentially appear in a TV Commercial. Here is the email we received. We haven’t personally vetted this opportunity, but wanted to share it to our community

CASTING BREAKDOWN:

We are casting a commercial in DFW and are looking for SKATEBOARDERS. The shoot is in DALLAS! If you fit the specs below, and are available for ALL required dates, email a few recent photos, skateboard experience, & phone/email to kina@cast-o-matic.com for immediate consideration. If interested, we will send audition instructions. IF YOU HAVE A TALENT AGENT, ASK THEM TO SUBMIT ON YOUR BEHALF!

Casting Sites: Do Not post. This is a local search only.

Submission Deadline: End of day Monday, January 16

CLIENT: Major retailer for custom business solutions

SPECS: Skateboarders - Men/Women, ethnically diverse, 20s-early 30s. Should be skilled vert skater. Must be able to drop-in and come out of a halfpipe with ease.

AUDITION: From self tapes - will be required to demo some of your skills

CALLBACK: 1/25 Virtual on Zoom

SHOOT DATES: in Dallas! Out of towners must be willing to work local hire 1/31 or 2/1 *talent may shoot one or both days

PAY: Session fee: $500 + 15% agency, if applicable (per day)

Usage: $1200 + 15% agency, if applicable

USAGE: 18 Months - Connected TV, YouTube, Owned Media

For consideration, email a few recent photos with your name, skateboard experience, & phone/email to kina@cast-o-matic.com.

Please let me know if youu have any questions. You can visit our website, cast-o-matic.com, and/or the Cast-O-Matic Facebook page to see our previous work. 

Thank you for your time and best wishes on your skatepark endeavors. 

Rina Bale

Casting Director

Cast-O-Matic

cast-o-matic.com

The Dallas Skatepark Design Reveal - Bachman Lake Skatepark

City of Dallas leadership loving the new skatepark design with skaters and Skateparks for Dallas

On December 1, 2022, Team Pain Skateparks revealed the new skatepark design at Bachman Recreation Center, which is right next to where the park will be built. City of Dallas leadership in attendance include former Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Omar Narvaez, Park Board Member Tim Dickey, DISD Board Member Joe Carreon, and the Friends of Bachman Lake Susanna and Ryan Brown. Mr. Medrano was absolutely instrumental in seeing this skatepark come to life so it was exciting to see him there.

Council Member Narvaez spoke before the session and gave a special shout out to Park Board Member Tim Dickey. Mr. Dickey is a long time Bachman Lake resident and saw skaters live at the famous 1980s area Clown Ramp. The Clown ramp (pictures in the gallery) put Dallas skateboarding on the map internationally in the 1980s.

The design will go to bid in early 2023 and construction is aiming to begin in Summer 2023. Skateparks for Dallas will keep you posted.

Bachman Skatepark totals 45,600 square feet of skateable area

skatepark schematic gives an overview of everything together

here is a rendering of the skatepark

A proposed recognition of the clown ramp at Bachman to honor the history that was created at Bachman

All the skatepark features were designed to accommodate all the roots to ensure no tree removal for the skatepark, which ensures a great shade and preserving the old growth trees. This will help make the Dallas flagship skatepark feel very special. The park is 1/10th of a mile away (560 ft) from the Bachman Station DART station. An existing 22 parking spot lot is already on site and 458 nearby spots at the DART station itself.

In addition to the trees, the park will have three 10x20 shade structures. Seating for 108 people, 9 trash can receptacles, water fountains with bottle fillers, and bicycle racks. The hope is this park continues to help make Dallas a skateboarding destination known throughout the world.

Google Maps context for what the new skatepark replaces

This is the existing park maintenance facility that will be replaced with the skatepark. The red outline shows where the skatepark can go without disturbing the amazing trees on site.

Flagship Bachman Lake Skatepark Final Design Presentation December 1, 2022

On December 1, 2022 at 6pm at the Bachman Recreation Center, at 2750 Bachman Drive, Team Pain Skateparks will reveal the final design of the new flagship skatepark at Bachman Lake. This project was funded by 2017 Bond Election Funds and has hosted numerous design input sessions.

Council Members Omar Narvaez (District 6) and Jesse Moreno (District 2) will also attend

Skateparks for Dallas has Gone Independent

Exciting news to share on the Skateparks for Dallas.org front, we have now gone fully independent! A member of our board has experience running a large Dallas non-profit as the treasurer, so they set us up our own 501c3 with the State of Texas and IRS. We are still 100% all volunteer (no paid staff), but we are 120% amped for the future of skateparks in Dallas!

What does that mean for you, the local action sports enthusiast and skatepark supporter? Nothing changes other than we are working to get bigger and better in 2022 and beyond! It also means we can collect donations directly, and they are tax deductible for you!

Having a non-profit does involve incurring some operating expenses directly, but our founders pay 100% of our administration costs themselves, so your donations go only to skatepark and action sports activities in Dallas. Yahoo!

What is Skateparks for Dallas raising money for?

  1. Programming - we want to support skate board lessons at Bachman Lake. We have already received a large grant, but we are looking to match it with individual donors to double the impact

  2. Skatepark Master Plan - we want skateparks and action sports facilities in all 14 council districts in Dallas. If we fulfill the mission, that means we will be part way towards having enough facilities for all the interest. The city is working on a master plan, but we can accelerate it with our own $$ if we can raise them.

  3. Upgrading St. Francis Skatepark at Lakeland Hills. Adding features and converting some or all of them to permanent structures instead of the rusted metal currently there.

Donating is easy, works great on mobile!

Skatepark Design Underway

Team Pain Skatepark Design has been surveying Dallas action sports enthusiasts, working with neighborhood groups and parks and recreation to design the flagship skatepark at Bachman Lake. We can’t wait to share more about the progress, but in the meantime, a few highlights

  1. The park is very accessible by DART light rail

  2. The site has wonderful, mature tree coverage and the skatepark design preserves the trees and incorporates the topology of the site wonderfully

  3. Sidewalk designs flow nicely for spectators and park users

  4. Near the regional aquatic center and Bachman recreation center

Is there a skate park near me, or what is a skatepark master plan?

Perhaps the most common request on all of Skateparks for Dallas’ platforms (instagram, facebook, comments section) is “How do I get a skate park near me?”

The answer is a Skatepark Master Plan, and the city of Dallas needs one. The good news is pioneering Dallas Park Board Member for District 14, Amanda Schulz has been tirelessly championing to get one created for the city of Dallas. We are so thankful for Amanda’s leadership here. But now Board Member Schulz and Skateparks for Dallas needs your help, so keep reading…

The city is about to begin the public input process about needs, and your city council member and park board representative need to hear from residents in their district about interest in a skatepark. To help you out, here is a map of Dallas, and your City Council person.

  1. Find where you live on this map and Identify which Council District you live in

  2. Identify your city council member from the map

  3. Identify your Park Board representative based on their council district or email the whole board right here

  4. Find their facebook or email address listed below

  5. Send them a friendly note like the example below

  6. Send this link to your friend or neighbor who lives in the city and ask them to do the same

  7. Tag @DallasParksRec and your friends in social media to spread the word

Dear Council Member {Lastname}

My name is { ____ } and I live in your district on {street name, zip code}. I am (or) my kids are {skateboarders, bmx riders, or inline skaters} and we would love to have a concrete skate park in our district. Perhaps {local park} would be a good location, because {your reason}. I understand that the Parks & Recreation Department is considering a Skatepark Master Plan and I support this effort as a priority for our city. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at {email address or phone number} if you would like to discuss further.

Sincerely,

{your name}

If the Park Board calls you about the Skatepark Master plan, here are some talking points

In case a Dallas Parks Representative calls you about skateparks:


--I know a large regional skatepark is going to be built at Bachman Lake, but we need local, neighborhood modern, concrete skateparks for kids who are not driving age and whose parents can't take them all across town.

--We also need a Skatepark Master Plan to determine where these parks go.

--Skateparks provide exercise, a sense of accomplishment, and get kids off the computer screens, engaging with other neighborhood kids.

--They are not only used by skateboarders, but by kids who scooter, bike and roller blade.

--Skateparks are a place for all ages, but also a place for kids who have outgrown the playground.

--We have hundreds of basketball and tennis courts in every Dallas neighborhood, so why not some skateparks. 

City Council Member Contact Info (based on their public facebook pages)

Park Board Member Contact Form

  • Park Board President and D13 representative Calvert Collins-Bratton has been a big supporter of the Bachman skatepark

  • Anthony Becker is the Park Board manager and secretary - anthony.becker@dallascityhall.com

  • District 1: Barbara Barbee

  • District 2: Fonya Mondell

  • District 3: Taylor Toynes

  • District 4: Harrison Blair

  • District 5: Lorena Tule-Romain

  • District 6: Timothy Dickey, long time supporter of the Bachman Skatepark

  • District 7: Daniel Wood

  • District 8: Bo Slaughter

  • District 9: Maria Hasbany

  • District 10: Robb Stewart

  • District 11: Jeff Kitner

  • District 12: Lane Conner - lane.conner@dallascityhall.com

  • District 14: Amanda Schulz, our skatepark master plan pioneer

Garland Skatepark at Rick Oden Park

The city of Garland has a $10 Million project underway at Rick Oden Park.

SPA Skateparks has created conceptual designs of the park. The design includes a street / plaza area, a bowl / transition area and a beginner’s area, with features literally from A to Z. Check out the concept map and key below.

concept design rick oden park skateparks of austin

This line drawing overlays the skatepark location on the map of the existing park, plus the additional facilities that are being built as part of a comprehensive park update

park location

With distinct transition, street and beginners area the Garland Skatepark is looking like a great spot for skaters of all abilities. The emphasis on shade structures also shows this will be a great spot 365 days per year

We are looking forward to chatting with Mayor Pro Tem Rich Aubin about his vision for Rick Oden Park and how we brought this to fruition. Very exciting stuff! See the concept design at the project webpage of the City of Garland

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