Friends for Skateparks

Lexington, KY

Author Archives: gduerson


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New Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

What: Dreamland Skateparks requests more community feedback
When: From now until 5:00 PM, May 13, 2014
Contact: Elizabeth Chatterton, friendsforskateparks@gmail.com

Leave your mark on the new skatepark

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (May 7, 2014)

Dreamland Skateparks returned to Lexington to begin the second phase of open community feedback on the design of Berry Hill Skatepark coinciding with the launch of the Move Your Feet fundraising campaign.

At a public meeting on May 6, 2014 hosted by Lexington’s Parks and Recreation and Friends for Skateparks, Dreamland Co-owner Danyel Scott and Assitant Designer and Concrete Specialist Burke Morris presented two different draft design-concepts for Berry Hill Skatepark to the public and listened to feedback from the community during the hour-and-a-half meeting.  The Oregon-based design firm will use the feedback they receive from the public input process to develop the final design for Lexington’s next skatepark.

Morris, a Lexington native, walked the attendees through each of the proposed concepts and discussed the dozens of elements and options being proposed.

“I am really excited about all the design input we received tonight.  We got a lot of ideas and feedback,” said Morris following the meeting.  “We’ll make adjustments based on the input we receive. Lexington is going to get an amazing new skatepark.

The public input period will remain open until 5:00 PM on May 13, 2014.  All community members are encouraged to send their feedback and suggestions responding to the two draft design concepts by directly emailing Dreamland at berryhilldream@gmail.com.  You can check out Dreamland’s design concepts here.

Lexington’s next skatepark will be located at Berry Hill Park on Buckhorn Drive.  The site will feature a new walking trail and is also home to a state-of-the-art playground, basketball and tennis courts and adjacent to the Squires Hill Road bike trail.  Formerly located at this park was the Berry Hill Pool, permanently closed and removed in 2012.

Currently more than $585,000 has been allocated towards the Berry Hill Skatepark project.  Friends for Skateparks, a local non-profit has set a goal to raise additional funds and make Lexington home to a $1 million skatepark through the Move Your Feet Indigogo campaign.

Friends for Skateparks is also accepting public participation in meeting their fundraising goals. If you are interested in being more active in building Lexington’s next skatepark come to either of these meetings:

Special Events and Grand Opening Team 
May 19 @ 6:30 PM
Puccinis Smiling Teeth
833 Chevy Chase Place

Youth Engagement & Fundraising Team
May 24 @ 9:00 AM
Good Foods Market & Cafe
455 Southland Dr

You can check out the Friends for Skateparks facebook page for additional information.  If you have questions, please email friendsforskateparks@gmail.com


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Here Are The Proposed Designs!!!

Below is concept A and concept B presented to us tonight by Dreamland Skateparks.  A few things to note.

1.  You can still email your thoughts and suggestions to Dreamland for 1 WEEK.  Email your suggestions (or encouragments) here: berryhilldream@gmail.com  Please make sure you fully understand what you are looking at in these designs before you email them.  If you have questions then post them and those of us at the meeting will do our best to answer your questions.

2.  A lot of good suggestions came from the meeting tonight.  There seemed to be a general consensus that moving the snake run out of the middle of the park and making the street area a bit larger would be a good idea.

3.  With the communities support over the next two months, there is a very good chance that the park will be larger than these concepts with elements from both being included.  Donate HERE!

I will offer my opinions later, but for now, enjoy taking a look!!!

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Sign Up For A Volunteer “Team” Today!

Sign Up for A Volunteer Team Today!

At our “Launch Meeting” a few weeks ago we shard about the need for the community to get involved in one of the various “teams” that will help raise funds over the next few months. Didn’t make the meeting? Now worries! Below is the list of teams.  If you are interested in participating then please email Elizabeth HERE and she will notify about the the first meeting for each of these groups.

“Move Your Feet “ Campaign Team – We need a team of people committed to help spread the word about our crowd sourcing campaign (IndieGoGo) currently going on. This will involve coming up with creative ways to spread the word through social media!

Local Fundraising/Grant Team – There are numerous opportunities locally to apply for grants and involve F4SP with other existing fundraisers. We need a team of folks to find out what those are and sign us up!

Special Events and Grand Opening Team – F4SP will host a few events over the next year related to the new park and we need folks to help with the planning. Grand Opening, Ribbon Cutting, as well as partner with other events (Cosmic Invasion, Second Sunday, Others?) in the region where we can be visible and share the need.

Kids Involvement Team – How can we get kids to take ownership and get them to pitch in as little as a dollar to help fund the new park? Car Wash? Skate-A-Thon? This will be the question that this team will tackle and seek to create opportunities for kids to help the cause!

Letter Campaign – We are going to take the work out of sending letters to individuals and business. We are going to create and mail a letter for anyone willing to provide us with the addresses. Can you help us by providing addresses? Recruit others to provide addresses? Let us know! (Note: you can supply your own letter if you wish).
We look forward to hearing from you!  This is going to be a blast!


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Final Design Meeting – May 6

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Tuesday May 6 – 6:30PM

Lexington Public Library (Central Branch), Farish Theater, 140 E. Main Street, 40507.

See Dreamland’s ideas for our park based on our input. We will see two potential designs and be able to give feedback. Last chance to have a say in the actual design of this thing! Construction starts soon! Don’t miss this opportunity!!!

RSVP FOR EVENT ON FACEBOOK

Spread the word about the IndieGoGo Fundrasing Campaign too!


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F4SP Funding LAUNCH Event

friends kick off

WE NEED YOUR HELP

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For every $30 we raise, we can add a square foot to our new park! Join us for our funding campaign kick-off and learn how you can help increase the size and scope of the Berry Hill skate park project!

THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH

7PM – WOODLAND PARK

(Pizza Provided)

COME LEARN HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED WITH UPCOMING F4SP FUNDING AND AWARENES EVENTS INCLUDING:

Crowdsourcing Campaign

Future Skate Comps & Events at Berry Hill

Social Media Blitz, and More!

JOIN THE EVENT ON FACEBOOK


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CORRECTION: Final Design Public Meeting May 6TH – 6:30PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CORRECTION: A change of date has been made for the next public design meeting with Dreamland Skateparks.  In its previous release Friends for Skateparks noted that the next public design meeting will take place on Thursday, May 1, 2014. The next public design meeting has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 6, 2014. We apologize for any confusion the change in date may have created.
Lexington’s Next Skatepark: Public Input Requested

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 16, 2014) — Dreamland Skateparks is asking the community for input on design features for Lexington’s next skatepark. In a public meeting held last night, Dreamland co-owner Danyel Scott presented various skatepark elements and features to dozens of local skaters and skatepark supporters. Each person in attendance was asked to write down the top 10 design elements they would like to see in the park’s final design. Dreamland, an Oregon-based skatepark design and build company, will return to Lexington next month to present their top two design concepts for the park based on the feedback they have received from the public.

“We feel great about all of the positive, energetic community members that came out for the meeting,” said Scott. “We received some amazing input and look forward to transforming that into the conceptual designs.”

The next public design meeting date, time, and location are listed below:

Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 6:30 p.m.,
Lexington Public Library (Central Branch), Farish Theater, 140 E. Main Street, 40507.

Dreamland is extending the public input process for design until midnight, April 16. The public is encouraged to send all ideas, design input, pictures, comments or questions directly to Dreamland by emailing berryhilldream@gmail.com.

Currently, $500,000 has been set aside for the Berry Hill Skatepark, located on Buckhorn Drive. Friends for Skateparks, a local non-profit, has set a goal to raise an additional half-million dollars to make Lexington home to a $1 million skatepark.

The non-profit group will be hosting a community meeting on April 24, 7:00 pm at Woodland Park to discuss how people can get involved and support this project.

Friends for Skateparks president Gavin Duerson encouraged the public to participate in the fundraising campaign kick-off, and learn more about how to help increase the size and scope of the Berry Hill skatepark project.

“For every $30 we raise, we can add a square foot to our new park,” said Duerson. “This is a rare opportunity to help grow your hometown skate scene and we need the support of our community to make this happen.”

For additional information on the kick-off party, email friendsforskateparks@gmail.com or visit www.friendsforskateparks.com.


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Submit Design Ideas to Dreamland Now!

Last night at Dreamland’s first public meeting, the stoke factor was high!  It’s truly an exciting time to see this project lifting off the ground!  I think the most awesome moment of the evening when the co-owner of Dreamland interrupted the conversation that was taking place and took the mic to proclaim that his goal was to deliver Lexington “the best skate park in the state!”  This of course will have a lot to do with our (the community) ability to help raise additional funds.  More on that later…

For now, know that this party has started and if you missed the meeting last night you can STILL have input into the design of this new park.  Here is how:

* Email berryhilldream@gmail.com your thoughts by April 16.

“Dream” a bit… and include any ideas that you would like to see included in this new park!  You only get one chance at this and the time is now so put some thought into what you would really like to see at Berry Hill and let your voice be heard!!!!

Dreamland will be returning in May to propose two different design concepts based on your ideas.  More to come on the meeting last night and how you can help with beefing up this park to make it “the best skate park in the state!”  Stay tuned…

 


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Skatepark Design Meeting With Dreamland! BE THERE!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 6:30 p.m.,
Lexington Public Library (Central Branch), Farish Theater, 140 E. Main Street, 40507

OK folks…  This is it.  There has been a lot of discussion over the last few years about they kind of skatepark Lexington needs.  Anytime the new park is discussed, it seems everyone has great ideas about what type of elements the new park should have and now the time has finally come for your ideas to be shared with the guys who are going to build the park!  This thing is about to get moving fast so time is of the essence!  Below is the Press Release for the design meeting!  Please do your part in getting the word out and getting the skate community out for this forum!  Please Share and Tweet out this page!!!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Calling All Lexingtonians: Public Input Needed for New Berry Hill Skatepark

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (March 26, 2014) – Before the first shovel of dirt is turned, all community members are asked to take part in the unique opportunity to share their best design ideas for a new skatepark at Berry Hill.  A public input meeting is scheduled for next month.

Date, time, and location are listed below:

Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 6:30 p.m.,
Lexington Public Library (Central Branch), Farish Theater, 140 E. Main Street, 40507

Representatives from Dreamland Skateparks, an Oregon design firm heading up the project, will fly to Lexington for the meeting.  They are asking members of the public to come loaded with ideas about what they want to see in their next skatepark.

Friends for Skateparks, a non-profit organization, has collaborated with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government and Parks and Recreation to make the Berry Hill Skatepark a reality.

Eighth District Councilman George Myers has been a leading advocate of the project.

“This is a rare and exciting chance for the community to lend a hand in the design process of a world-class skatepark that is sure to draw skaters to Lexington from far and wide,” said Myers.  “Don’t let the opportunity to share your ideas pass you by.”

An email forum will also be made available by Dreamland during the design input process allowing comments, questions, or concerns to be submitted by the public. A second community meeting with Dreamland will follow the initial public input period. Further details will be disclosed at a later date

Friends for Skateparks President Gavin Duerson encouraged the community to participate in the public meeting.

“This is one of the most exciting parts of the process as we, the action sports community, get to have direct input into the exact elements we want present in our new park,” said Duerson. “That is the purpose of this meeting and we hope everyone who is excited about our state’s newest skatepark can be present and join us in the creative process.”

For more information on the Berry Hill Skatepark project go to www.friendsforskateparks.com.