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Echo Park skaters could soon have their very own skatepark in their part of town.Los Angeles' Department of Recreation and Parks and Department of Public Works are teaming up to put a skatepark at the site of an old, unused public swimming pool across the street from Echo Park Lake at the Echo Park Recreation Center, right next to the the onramp to the 101 Freeway. "For years I heard from Echo Park residents about the need for a skate park in the community," said L.A. city councilman Mitch O'Farrell—whose district includes Echo Park—according to The Eastsider. "I am committed to making this park enhancement a reality, and I'm excited that we have initial funding in place for Recreation and Parks to move forward with a design."
Funding for the skatepark, which will cost about $500,000, will be provided through Prop. K, which provides $25 million each year to go towards city parks. "There was a lot of interest among locals for a skate park, and that's why Recreation and Parks identified it as a Prop K project," said Public Works' Bureau of Engineering project manager Richard Campbell.
Currently in its design phase, there will be three public meeting held for the the skatepark project, with the first scheduled for next Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m. at the recreation center.
Pending approval by the city, construction on the skatepark is expected to begin in 2017 and it should be completed by the summer of 2018. So wait juuuuuust a little bit longer!
