Lansing - Skateboarders and skaters are one step closer to getting their own skate park - but bikers may be out of luck.

Residents gathered Wednesday to talk about the progress of Ranney Skate Park, 300 Frandor Ave. They discussed construction progress and tentative rules for the park.

The 20,000-square foot park is scheduled to open to the public in May or June.

Murdock Jemerson, the director of the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department, said the $1.3 million project is about 75 percent done.

“Team Pain (Inc.) is coming back as soon as construction allows,” he said.

Team Pain Inc. is a skate park designing and building company owned and operated by Tim Payne.

Once Team Pain Inc. returns, construction will take about two weeks. Construction of the street course has been completed, leaving the pool element.

“It’s a functional piece of art and Tim is like the premier artist,” said George Leichtweis, owner of Modern Skate and Surf, 1393 E. Grand River Ave. “He’s the Picasso of park builders.”

But Payne and others designed the park for specific needs.

“This particular park was built for skateboards and in-line skates,” Leichtweis said. “There isn’t any steel coping. The bike pegs would ruin the park in two weeks.”

Pete Bosheff, President of Lansing Area Skate, Bike and Recreation Foundation, said no bikers were around for input.

Biker David Buffington said the exclusion of bikers is unfair.

“A public park should be for everyone - not just for who they choose,” the Lansing resident said. “Why spend so much money and not make it for everybody?”

Bosheff and Leichtweis said they hope to build another park specifically for bikers when additional funds are available and more interest builds.

“It should have been taken care of at once,” Buffington said. They really didn’t follow through that well.”

But Bosheff said he and others have looked at more than 150 skate parks around the country. He and Leichtweis said the bike faction broke off to build a dirt bike park.

“When it opens, it will blow people’s minds,” Bosheff said. “There’s no question that students will come to MSU just for it. We built this park so MSU could be close to it instead of somewhere in South Lansing.”

Telecommunication junior and Skate Club President Brian Lindensmith said he was excited to see the skate park built. He plans on being on the Skate Park Advisory Committee, one of the foundation’s ideas.

“We’re going to help with raising interest in the park and supervising it,” Lindensmith said.

The committee would act as a buffer between the people at the unsupervised park and the police.

“We’ve seen great input from MSU students,” 15-year-old Jared Wein said. “It was a collective effort.”

The Lansing resident and his 9-year-old brother, Matt, have helped raise more than $50,000 by talking with Ingham County officials.