ROSEDALE, Md. — For now, some of Roman Hawkins best skateboard moves happen in the street, and plans for a new skate park in Rosedale carry one obvious advantage.
“Safety, because having a park designed for skateboarding is always good instead of doing somewhere in the street where there’s cars,” said Hawkins.
More than five years in the making, on this day, Baltimore County breaks ground on a state-of-the-art public skate bowl facility along Hazelwood Avenue.
“Over in Lansdowne, I’ve been told that we have the oldest, municipal skateboard park in the United States,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, “and I hope with this asset and amenity that the Hazelwood Skateboard Park will be among the brightest gems in the country.”
Much like the “Downer”, as it’s known, in Lansdowne, which was built back in 1978, the new facility with a concrete bowl as its central feature, is expected to become a skateboarding hub with national appeal, as well as accommodating other enthusiasts as well.
“Just not for skateboarders. You know. BMXers, roller bladers, you know, everyone is welcomed,” said De-Quan Sample who began skateboarding at the age of 4, “but I really feel this right here in groundbreaking, and it’s monumental.”
With the state’s help, the county is spending more than $4 million to build the skate park, and it should be ready to open a year from now.
An investment in forms of recreation that may help transform the community surrounding it.
“Since I moved into this area like I used to be homeless and then skateboarding was the only thing I really had after that point, and once we finally got our own place, I prayed to God every night that there would be a skate park in this neighborhood and now, here we are,” said Gabriel McNeil, “It’s finally happening.”
