The City of Troy is gathering ideas for a new skate park as it looks for new ways to redevelop the area under a high-traffic bridge.
The Hoosick Street Bridge carries thousands of vehicles in and out of the Collar City every day, but as the city looks to revitalize underused spaces, the span stands out as a towering reminder of urban renewal.
This week, city officials gathered ideas for a new way to reimagine what’s underneath the bridge as it crosses the Hudson into Troy – a skatepark.
Matt Fleugge, CEO of Grindline Skateparks, spoke to skaters at a hybrid public meeting Wednesday night. The company designs and builds skateparks around the country. He says parks factor in the wants of the community, the surrounding area, and local identity.
“Just to touch on local identity a bit, I mean, this where we want to get feedback from you guys. What do you guys want to see in the park that’s going to represent Troy?”
Fleugge presented a slideshow of the company’s past projects, including one in Houston with a feature shaped like the state of Texas.
The brainstorming comes after murals were painted under the bridge as part of an effort called Uniting Line. Troy Mayor Patrick Madden…
“Last year we saw the beginning of it with the mural work that was done. Now we’re beginning to envision how we might use the space underneath the bridge. Whether it be for basketball, whether it be for just a lounging area of some sort – a gathering place, or perhaps a skateboard park,” said Madden. “There’s a lot of passion around a skateboard park so we want to start seeing if that can jell and if we can put together resources in a way that makes sense for the community and the city. So this is the beginning of that process.”
With a basketball court already under the bridge, the new murals supported by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies are the first step in the Uniting Line project that aims to encourage more pedestrian traffic and activities.
Liz Reiss is CEO of the Arts Center of the Capital Region, a partner in the Uniting Ling Project that oversaw the muraling effort.
‘I think the whole point of muraling is to draw attention to sites and spaces and to help people see it in a new light. And so I hope a lot of people get involved with all the other sections of Uniting Line as well, and start bringing together their ideas and visions for what else could go there,” said Reiss.
Reiss is supportive of the skatepark idea.
“The basketball court is widely used and loved and so that would remain. But then there are others that need to be rethought. And the skateboard park is a perfect adaption of a space and a need, and would be a wonderful element in that space,” said Reiss.
Grindline says the new skatepark would need to take into account the support structures underneath the bridge. The park will be designed for skateboarders, BMX bicycle and scooter riders of all ages and ability levels.
The city is hoping to incorporate the skatepark and other future amenities under the bridge as it expands pedestrian access along the Hudson. Again, Mayor Madden.
“I think there will be a other discussions about other uses under the bridge as well, which will become a whole lot more accessible as we continue Riverfront North out of the downtown, up to the Hoosick Street bridge area,” said Madden.
A link to a survey for the skatepark concept is available here.
