MONROE — Skaters here will soon be rolling on, popping off and turning tricks more easily at the Lake Tye skatepark.
That’s the goal for Matt Fluegge, of the Seattle-based design firm Grindline Skateparks. The company is working with the city and Monroe skaters to come up with a plan for $240,000 worth of improvements at the Lake Tye park.
Once the upgrades are complete, Fluegge said, Monroe will have the one of the best skateparks in the region.
“It’s a world-class design,” he said. “It’s more street oriented.”
The city received a $120,000 state grant earlier this month to help pay for the project. Monroe will match the grant from the State Recreation Conservation Office.
The skatepark was built in 2002 with portable ramps on a concrete slab. Now, the ramps need to be replaced because of wear and tear, Parks and Recreation Director Mike Farrell said.
The city plans include permanent ramps and more interesting features to skate on that will last longer and potentially draw visitors to Monroe, Farrell said.
“What’s going to be built here is going to create attention regionally,” Farrell said.
The city plans to put in features that are usually found in a more urban setting, such as stairs, ledges, benches and rails. Brick and stone will be used for building material to make the features more durable, reduce maintenance and improve the look of the park, Farrell said.
“It’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye,” he said. “It definitely is an enhancement to that area of the park.”
An 2014 estimate by the city staff found that about 120 skaters use the park each day. But they have told the city they’re bored with the existing features, Farrell said.
That should change once the upgrades are complete. Construction could begin as early as this fall.
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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