The earth is moving in Farmington Hills, more specifically, at the new Riley Skate Park.
Although ground was broken in May, construction workers have just begun getting to work on the project. Construction should be finished by the end of the year or next spring, depending on the weather.
Riley is on one of the most innovative skate parks to come around southeast Michigan in a long time. It goes beyond the normal concrete hills, ramps and rails of the standard Midwestern skate park. It includes features such as an 8-foot-tall cylinder that looks like a sewer pipe built into the ground instead of above it. There are also a variety of in-ground pits and ditches, giving the park a "West Coast" feel.
Local officials also are raising money to bring in extra featrures such as lighting and webcams to the 29,000-square-foot park. Riley occupies a corner of Founder's Sports Park at 35500 Eight Mile Road between Gill and Halstead roads near the Farmington Hills Ice Arena.
More than 722,000 people come through the park each year. That number is expected to dramatically increase after the skate park is finished. City officials believe the skate park will become a regional attraction, bringing in nearly 200 people each day.
The skate park is named after George Riley of the Riley Foundation who gave $500,000 toward the $850,000 project. For information on the project, contact Bryan Farmer at (248) 473-1805 or BFarmer@fhgov.com.
Source: Bryan Farmer, a recreation supervisor with Farmington Hills
Writer: Jon Zemke
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