long-awaited arizona skate park in planning stage

A plan calling for the creation of a new skate park in the southwestern Arizona town of Bouse is currently being reviewed by state officials and expected to be approved later this year.

Talked about for the last two years, the park will likely be constructed on roughly 56 acres off Joshua Road. That mostly vacant site is on the south side of Bouse, directly across the road from the Bouse Elementary School.

If built, the park would be integrated into the much larger Arizona Peace Trail, which connects Bullhead City to Yuma through an oblong-shaped trail loop designed for off-highway vehicle use.

The Arizona State Parks Board has now given its approval to purchasing the planned site for the skate park, which some decades ago was the home to a small cotton gin.

Preliminary plans for the park have also been submitted to the Arizona State Legislature’s capital review committee.

Once that committee gives its approval, public input meetings are expected to be held regarding the final design of the park.

According to the Santa Monica, California-based Skate Park Association, there are more than 3,200 skate parks currently in the U.S., and just over eighty in Arizona.

Construction costs for building such space can range anywhere from $100,000 to more than a $1 million depending upon the site preparation, design details, and infrastructure of each park.

By Garry Boulard

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