Creators:  Dreamland Skateparks

Time:  December 2001

Size: 8,000 square feet

Cost:  $116,000

Rules:  Helmets, sunrise to sunset, no bikes.

Facilities: Bathroom, Water Fountain

Location:  Bud Cross Park in north end of city.  3rd and Hasset St

Directions:  Hwy 101, East on Ransom Ave, North on 3rd Street

Map:  From Mapquest

City Contact:  City Website

                     City Hall
                  898 Elk Drive
               Brookings, OR 97415
                  541-469-2163
                 541-469-3650 Fax

History:  Anytime before 1999, if one looked up Oregon skatepark in Altavista, a black page with only text could be found referring to the Brookings skatepark, located near the police station.  I spoke with City Manager Leroy Blodgett on May 29th, 2002 and he shared the following history.  The idea of a Brookings skatepark had been around for 4-5 years and temporary parks were tried.  Russ Johnson of Sessions Surf Shop was determined to have an excellent skate park for Brookings.  A committee was formed and allegiance was found with the local B-H Rotary Club, which gave the first donation, $6000!  A few more donations followed, but it wasn't until an anonymous check for $10,000 arrived that things got rolling.  Grant proposals were written and Dreamland was contacted.  Then another anonymous donation arrived.  $100,000 for the Brookings skate park...  Oh my goodness.  The Donor is now seated in the Pacific Northwest Skating Hall of Fame.  What a gift!  Construction began in the fall/winter of 2001.  Public Works helped reduce some of the cost in labor and South Coast Lumber donated all the wood needed for the concrete forms.  Other companies (which I am sorry I am not able to recognize by name) donated equipment use and deeply discounted fill dirt and other details.  Mr. Blodgett noted that no tax money was used to build the park.  It was a great community effort that made the skate park possible.  It was completed in December, but the opening celebration happened June 8th, 2002.  The skate park is located in Bud Cross Park -a long time Police Chief of Brookings- along with a swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts and softball fields.

Overall:  Excellent.  A giant tasty donut.  A wild design.  Well constructed, smooth transistions, all metal coping is steel and pop can size, concrete seams are intelligently placed.  The pool is about 8' deep and 4' shallow.

Special:  This may be the first pool within a bowl.  Certainly there are parks with pool and bowl adjacent or connected to each other, but this pool is inside the bowl.  What do you think?  The secret superman jump is nuts and will remain a thrill as long as the park lives.