The City of Pensacola and Upward Intuition will continue to engage the public in providing transformative skatepark access for the community to enjoy. Upward Intuition has partnered with the City of Pensacola once again to ignite a long term vision to create public skate spots within city limits in an effort to increase access and improve safety for the skating community.
Residents are invited to participate in an in-person community input meeting to guide the future planning and design of the city’s first public “Safe Spot Skate Spot” park feature. The community input meeting will be held at Bayview Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Attendees can share their thoughts, ask questions and provide feedback on draft elements to include in the skate spot. Visuals of the proposed concept design and supporting information will be presented at the meeting.
The pilot Safe Spot Skate Spot installation will be located in the East Hill Neighborhood District. Upward Intuition will collaborate with the City of Pensacola, East Hill Neighborhood Association, The Platform Group, and community stakeholders to design and execute the first space at a city park.
“Upward Intuition is excited to share the concept designs and receive feedback from residents,” Upward Intuition founder Jon Shell said. “Many youth are unable to regularly access the Blake Doyle Skatepark [located] downtown, and it is important for everyone to have access to safe places to skate in their area without having to cross busy roads.”
The project has been awarded grant dollars from the “Dottie” Frist Foundation, a philanthropic trust that invests in promising organizations with high ambitions of improving communities who share the goal of making peoples’ lives “just a little better”.
“This project, as well as the generous gift from Dottie Frist were inspired by Avery Stark, an 11-year-old skateboarder who lost his life after being hit by a car in April 2023 while skating,” Andy Prince of Upward Intuition said. “We want to honor Avery’s life with this [first] skate spot in his home neighborhood. We hope this project will be a catalyst to make more accessible skateparks throughout the city to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.”
“The East Hill Neighborhood Association would like to express our enthusiasm for this project, as it aligns perfectly with our mission and vision of nurturing connections for a fun and vibrant community where everyone belongs, is engaged, feels safe, and are happy to be a part of,” East Hill Neighborhood Association Board Member Joey Miller said. “Collaborative initiatives like Safe Spot Skate Spot play a crucial role in fostering a sense of community and offers a diverse recreational option, thereby enhancing the appeal of our great city.”
The primary focus of public skate spots will be to improve park amenities and address safety concerns by providing neighborhood parks with enhanced recreational, cultural and aesthetic improvements that avoid major throughways and public roads that pose a danger to skaters and pedestrians.
Bayview Community Center is located at 2000 E. Lloyd St. in Pensacola.
For more information about City of Pensacola parks, playgrounds and locations, visit playpensacola.com or contact the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department at 850-436-5670.