A Brand New Skatepark is Coming to Brooklawn Park in New Bedford

The New Bedford Parks and Recreation Department has been busy revamping Brooklawn Park, with its brand new basketball courts and new pickleball courts on the way.

A new skatepark has been added to the agenda, and with the city bringing in a professional skateboarder from Massachusetts to help design the park, the new addition to Brooklawn Park promises to be a hot spot for SouthCoast skateboarders.

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Plans to Develop a New Skatepark in New Bedford

Mary Rapoza has been the director of the Parks and Recreation Department since 2013, and talks of redoing the skatepark have been going on since then.

“What I’ve heard from skaters since I got here was that we didn’t have any real skate parks that are usable,” she said.

The current skatepark at Brooklawn is in disrepair, and Rapoza’s plan for a solution is closer than ever.

“The first thing we did was set up an advisory committee of skaters,” she said.

With the help of local skaters on the committee, they decided on Spohn Ranch to design the new park, with professional skater Charlie Wilkins as the designer.

Spohn Ranch and Charlie Wilkins to Design New Skate Park

Spohn Ranch is an award-winning skatepark design-build firm based in Los Angeles with projects in over 40 states and over fifteen countries.

Charlie Wilkins is one of the skatepark designers for Spohn, who was born and raised in Massachusetts and helped pioneer the Boston skateboarding scene.

“He knows the local community and knows what local skaters are looking for,” said Rapoza.

The Final Touches for New Bedford’s Skatepark

Within the last year, Rapoza and the advisory committee have secured funding and are working on the final touches of the overall concept. Rapoza aims to have the official design and projected timeline sooner rather than later, allowing SouthCoast skateboarders to enjoy newly installed ramps, curbs, and rails as soon as possible.

“We’ve seen a really positive response from the community,” said Rapoza. “The skate community has been really enthusiastic.”

To follow along with the city’s new project, Rapoza encourages the community to look for updates online.

Very soon, Brooklawn Park will be transformed.