Columbus to repair skatepark after Tony Hawk visit

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An iconic Columbus skatepark is getting much needed repairs.

Dodge Skatepark opened in the early 1990s, a park Chris Higgins knows well and part of the reason he moved from northeast Ohio to Columbus.

"I decided to come to Ohio State partially because there was this great skate park here so when I graduated from high school I moved down to Columbus and skated here all the time," Higgins said.

Higgins worked at the park back when it had a staff and met skateboarders from all over the world.

"There weren't many places like it for a pretty long time," he said.

Higgins pointed out places where asphalt has separated from the concrete and overall, how it's not smooth anymore. Higgins also teaches skateboarding camps. He used to take the kids to the skatepark.

"Two years ago was the last time I brought one of my skateboard camps here and it was just so difficult for the kids to skate it because it was so rough and in such bad disrepair that I stopped bringing my camps here," he said.

One of the parks designers was Tony Hawk's father. He visited in the fall and posted about the visit on social media. He thanked the city of Columbus and said his dad wouldn't mind if it was resurfaced. Months later, the city approved $150,000 for improvements.

The ordinance, which was approved, noted the skatepark, "needs an immediate restoration because the infrastructure is falling apart." Dominique Shank, community relations chief for the Recreation and Parks Department, said Hawk's social media post is part of the reason the work is getting done.

"He certainly created some buzz around the issue and so we heard, we heard what the community had to say about the park," she said. "We’re doing this as a result of his social media posts."

This round of improvements is expected to be done by November, according to the ordinance. The city is planning a larger improvement project for 2028.