In addition to the recently remodeled Ballard Bowl and the new Marginal Way Skatepark (which is currently under construction), Seattle's South Park neighborhood is getting a skatepark of its own. River City Skatepark, a 10,000-square-foot concrete park, is being designed and built by Grindline (www.grindline.com). On Sunday, April 30, Neumo's is hosting a benefit show featuring the Ruby Doe, Bullet Club, and the Senate Arcade, to help raise money for the new park. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. and costs $8.

The idea for River City came about when the park's project manager, Mark Johnson, was approached about "doing something" with a difficult-to-develop piece of land. While brainstorming ideas, Johnson and his partners were approached by a group of students who had an idea of their own. "Three Sealth High School students who had been busted repeatedly for skating at Concord Middle School approached us with their business plan for a skatepark in Seattle," says Johnson. "River City Skatepark was born."

Johnson says he is "leading a team of folks who are arranging the site-prep work such as civil engineering, geotechnical work, site surveys, utilities, and the hidden things you don't see when you go to skate." Also involved is a group of students in the Masters of Construction Management program at the UW who are helping with everything from wrangling materials to cost estimating.

River City will feature both a street course and a large flow bowl. Grindline is also moving its offices to a building on-site, which will keep the park well maintained and safe.

The early stages of construction will begin in June (that includes site drainage), and they hope to pour the concrete for the bowls and street section in early November, says Johnson. The goal is to open the park in April 2007.

"The city is a skatepark, and without parks to skate in there is going to remain the constant battle between cities and property owners and skaters," says Johnson, who skateboards himself. "People will always skate stairs and ledges in the urban landscape, but well-designed skateparks provide an ever-changing flow and variety of terrain—ledges, rails, stairs, and bowls, which you don't have in the urban landscape. When you are there, you are there to skate. No one cares where you come from, who you know, or how old you are—you challenge each other and yourself. Skateparks are a dynamic part of the community."

So far the project has raised $71,000 of the necessary $166,000, and Johnson is hoping to see around $5,000 come in from the benefit show, but there's still a long way to go. If you'd like to help Johnson and company reach their goal, you will find a PayPal link at www.rivercityskatepark.com, or mail a check to Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, attn: River City Skatepark, 8201 10th Ave S, Seattle WA 98108.