Work Will Start Soon On Upgrade And Expansion Of Montauk Skate Park

In the coming weeks, the distinct sounds of skateboard wheels traveling over concrete will be replaced by the noise and clatter of a demolition crew on Essex Street in Montauk.

Work is set to start soon on a large-scale renovation and expansion of the Montauk Skate Park. It will be the result of a years-long effort that was a public-private partnership involving various stakeholders, including New York State — which owns the land that the park sits on — officials from East Hampton Town, which operates the park, and members of the Montauk Skate Park Coalition, which was responsible for a big fundraising effort that, combined with some grant money from the town, enabled the $1.42 million project to proceed.

On Monday, John Britton of the Montauk Skate Park Coalition said that the group hired to revamp and expand the park, Pivot Custom and American Ramp Company, was close to signing subcontractors, one to clear the small wooded area that separates the skate park from the nearby Little League baseball fields, and another to do the demolition work that will be a first step in the project.

The East Hampton Building Department was set to put up construction fencing around the skate park this week, which means the park will officially be closed until work is complete.

Several key people involved in the project got together at the park on Friday in what was described as a productive meeting, including site supervisor Ben Horan of American Ramp Company, and Pivot Custom designer Tito Porrata, as well as East Hampton Councilman David Lys, who has championed the project from the start, along with Britton and other members of the coalition.

Britton said that it was “still premature” to say exactly when work on the park would start in earnest. Clearing of the scrub forest area at the top of the hill will be the first step, followed by demolition, with the removal of the concrete and rebar that make up the current park, originally designed by New York City skateboarding legend Andy Kessler in 1999.

Britton said, in a best-case scenario situation, demolition could start before the end of the month. If all goes smoothly and runs on schedule — not always a guarantee with a large-scale construction project, of course — the park could be open to eager skateboarders again by the end of August, although September might be a more realistic debut timeline.

Britton said the Friday meeting was another good step in the right direction. “We did a lot of logistical problem-solving related to electricity on site, water, and how to make things safe with regard to fencing,” he said. “Everybody was very positive, and there didn’t seem to be any major roadblocks.”

There is even some additional funding remaining in the coalition coffers that Britton said might allow for a few extra features to be added to the original design down the road, although there is still some uncertainty about the scope of what those additional features and upgrades might be.

Britton said that the coalition, which is a nonprofit organization, wants to keep enough money on hand each year, and will continue fundraising, in order to provide for maintenance and upkeep costs once the new park is unveiled, and perhaps other services, like skateboarding lessons and programs for kids.

Britton said that the first step — the removal of the small wooded area on the hill — will be nice to see because it will improve the sight lines of the whole recreational area, which includes the Little League fields, and will allow the skate park, once it is done, to step into the kind of visible spotlight it has not previously had.

“There are still a lot of people who don’t know there’s a skate park there, but you always see the ball fields when you’re driving to the train station,” he said. “That scrubby forest has always obscured the view, but once it’s cleared, it will be a nice, unified recreation area.”

Lys pointed out that he informed the head of East Hampton Little League that the clearing of the wooded area to the north of the fields would not interfere with their season or any games, except for maybe an occasional foul ball entering that zone.

He said the entire process has been productive so far and he is excited for the impending opening.

“It’s been a model project and a pleasure to work with others in a public private partnership to get something done for the residents of the town that they can enjoy for generations,” he said. “We’ve addressed concerns of others to make sure it will be a long term success.”

Britton said that even if the skate park does not officially re-open until after Labor Day, that traditional marker of the end of the summer season, it will still get constant and immediate use once the construction gates come down and the new and improved park is unveiled, whenever that may be.

“It’s a year-round facility and will be a tremendous addition in terms of a recreational opportunity for kids,” he said.