Creating Bexley’s first skate park was a long and measured process, but with the opportunity to learn new tricks and create lasting connections, its users will be skating in no time.
The new skate park, located at Schneider Park between Charles Street and Astor Avenue, was originally intended to be finished in 2024, Recreation and Parks Director Mike Price said. Currently, the park is still in the process of being built and will be finished in May, he explained.
“While I think we all wish the project could be completed quicker, we were very intentional about the process, which can cause it to drag on a bit,” he explained.
Construction will be completed in April, but landscaping will not be finished until May, Price said.
“A project of this scale and scope requires more time than we might all like, but we wanted to make sure we did it the right way and end up with the best possible product,” he said.
Junior Grace Hansen, who has been skating since middle school, said she is happy the skate park is being built.
Hansen said she thought the skate park would be completed after she had already graduated. She thinks it’s been a relatively quick process, considering it is opening this year, she added.
Hansen explained she thinks it is important to be patient during the building process.
“Making a project this big takes not just people wanting it, but it takes a budget, it takes plans,” she said. “It takes a while to implement.”
The skate park is part of the city’s Year of the Parks project, which was started by Mayor Ben Kessler to promote Bexley’s outdoor spaces after the COVID-19 pandemic, Price explained.
The skate park was first introduced to the project after Kessler’s “Let’s Taco About the Parks” event, where students described the improvements they would like to see to Bexley’s parks in exchange for a free taco.
Excitement for a skate park in Bexley became clear in 2023, when 500 residents responded to a form expressing interest, Price said. Additionally, after reaching out to the community, a committee of both local and regional skaters was formed to provide input on the design of the park, he explained.
Together, they collaborated with Hunger Skateparks, a skate park design company, in order to start development, Price explained. Hunger Skateparks designed the park, but recommendations from high school students, the committee and community all contributed to the park’s design, Price added.
Price said because of strong community support, funding for the project was never an issue.
“At the front end of this effort, we partnered with the Bexley Community Foundation for a Capital Campaign around the Year of the Parks,” he said. “The BCF committed to a $500,000 Year of the Parks Grant to support various park projects including the skate park.”
Price said the city chose Schneider Park as the skate park’s location. The park is designed for skaters of all ages and levels, he added.
Freshman Dieuwer Dunham, who has been skating for less than a year, said he hopes the skating community in Bexley will become more tight-knit. Learning new tricks will be easier, since the park is so close, and other skaters will be there, he said.
Dunham said his main goal is learning how to skate on narrow surfaces.
“I’m excited for the half pipe the most since I’ve been working on coping tricks,” he said.
Dunham explained he believes the skate park will have a lasting impact on Bexley residents.
“I’m hoping the park has a nice community that’s willing to help each other learn and progress, similar to other parks in Columbus,” he said.
Hansen said she believes the skate park could bring more people into the skating community.
“People who have been considering learning how to skate will finally get the chance to have an area to commit to it,” she said.
Junior Rami Kopans, who plans to begin skating after the skate park is finished, said he has been wanting to learn how to for a while. The skate park will be a great place to learn, he said.
He added the skate park will be beneficial for kids who don’t have a car to drive downtown or enough money to pay an entrance fee, like most Columbus parks do.
“Someone shouldn’t be held back from trying something new just because they don’t have an environment that supports them,” Kopans said. “I think it’s a genuinely good thing for the community to have that resource.”
Hansen said the park will also be a safer space to skate, because skating around town can be dangerous.
“In Bexley, a lot of times we’re skating in parking lots,” she explained. “Streets aren’t always safe.”
She added the park will be a lasting attraction because of skating’s popularity with kids.
“I think there’s enough people in high school and in middle school that already have been skating and that’ll continue through the grades,” she said.
Price explained because of the excitement surrounding the park, the Recreation and Parks department will provide programs for skaters to improve their technique and learn new skills.
Price said he hopes the park will be a beneficial addition.
“I am hoping that Bexley students for generations to come will enjoy this amazing amenity for our community,” he said. “The skate park will provide an outlet for activity and gathering for those that enjoy skating.”
Published and digitized April 2026.
