SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — South Portland is one step closer to having its own skatepark. For more than three years, leaders and skaters in the community have been working together on the project.
On Sunday, more than 100 people gathered outside the South Portland Community Center for a skate park jam to help raise awareness for the project.
"It's just been this great artistic and athletic way for me to express myself. It's been how I've met some of the best people in my entire life, and I want to see future generations make those friendships, have that fun, and make those relationships," said Tom Long, who serves on the Ad-Hoc Volunteer Skate park Committee.
There were dozens of local kids and adults skating outside the community center Sunday. Members of the ad-hoc skatepark committee set up ramps and rails for skaters to ride on.
"Now we're seeing it in the Olympics. So now we're talking about potentially people that'll be competing in the Olympics someday could be coming from these homegrown skateparks in municipalities," said Long.
Long says the cost of the project is $500,000. So far, they have been able to raise more than $400,000.
"We knew we had to make one that would meet the needs of the current population," said Long.
The proposed location of the park is 230 Evans Street in South Portland, which is just across the street from the community center where the skatepark jam happened Sunday.
Long says that as part of the proposed plan, trees in that area would not be removed.
