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Groups work to finalize skate park

January 24, 2001

Officials from Lansing’s Skate Park and members of the MSU Skate Organization will meet Thursday to finalize design plans for the park.

The group hopes the meeting, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave., will put forward a more permanent concept of the park after more than two years of work.

Joe Quagliata participated in fund-raising events and attended Lansing City Council meetings to help make his dream of the Lansing Skate Park a reality.

“When they break the ground, that will be the point when I realize this is a dream come true,” said Quagliata, a freshman at Lansing Community College. “We’ve wanted this for a long time.”

Quagliata will attend a final design plan meeting that will include Tim Payne, one of the world’s top skate park builders.

The planned location of the park, which officials hope to begin constructing this summer, is near the Frandor Shopping Center at Ranney Park.

Landscape architecture sophomore Mike Jacobs, a member of the MSU Skateboarding Organization, said he sees himself skateboarding through an all-cement skate park and riding along metal edges, stairs and benches.

“Transitions are really important in skate parks, so hopefully it will flow well so you can ride continuously without getting stuck in a corner,” Jacobs said. “I’m going to the meeting to see what his plans are and then make some notes.

“From what I understand, he’s a good designer. It’s going to be a quality skate park.”

Payne and his company, Team Pain, have built skate parks for more than 20 years. Payne is responsible for constructing the ESPN X-Games parks, and several of Payne’s parks are recognized by skaters and ESPN film crews.

“We’re thrilled he is going to design the park,” said Pete 0Bosheff, president of Lansing Area Skate, Bike and Recreation Foundation. “He’s in extremely high demand. We’re very fortunate to have him.”

Bosheff said although Payne’s parks attract national attention, he is known for working well with skaters and city officials.

“(Skaters) can sit down with him and design the park,” Bosheff said. “It’ll be like sitting down with Tiger Woods to design a golf course. He’s amazing when it comes to interacting with kids and with city officials.”

Construction of the park will begin this summer if enough money is raised.

Bosheff said $200,000-300,000 must be raised to finish the project.

He said planners hope to include a paved perimeter for walkers and bikers as well as park benches. The park will facilitate both in-line skaters and skateboarders.

“The park will accommodate little kids to advanced accomplished skaters,” Bosheff said. “It’s centrally located in a high visibility location and the suburban kids and Lansing kids get to mix and hang out.

“The other thing that’s important culturally is that we’re close to MSU so the older kids tend to mentor younger kids.”

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