Upper Darby to build ADA-accessible skatepark at Observatory Hill Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 23, 2022
Contact: socialmedia@upperdarby.org

Upper Darby to build ADA-accessible skatepark at Observatory Hill Park  

UPPER DARBY, PA: Mayor Keffer is excited to announce that the Delco Skatepark Coalition has received its first grant, taking us one step closer to a skatepark in our community. The Delaware County Green Ways grant that the coalition received is to build an adaptive, all-wheels and ADA-accessible skatepark at Observatory Hill. The grant application was appropriately titled: “The Very First All-Wheels & ADA-Inspired Skatepark for Adaptive Athletes and Skaters of All Abilities in Delaware County,” according to coalition leader Stacy Olkowski.

“Skateboarding has become one of the fastest growing and most inclusive forms of recreation for all ages and we want to give our Upper Darby residents the ability to participate from the comfort of their own community,” said Mayor Keffer. “The addition of a skatepark in our township helps us to keep up with the way recreation is evolving. It encourages people to rediscover our great local parks and gives our children healthy and productive outlets to stay out of trouble.” 

Currently, Upper Darby Township has proposed plans in place to work in partnership with the Delco Skatepark Coalition for the construction of the concrete skatepark which will be located in the Observatory Hill recreation area. The Delaware County Green Ways grant awarded to the coalition is an exciting step for construction to begin. Mayor Keffer and the coalition are extremely thankful to Delaware County Council for awarding funding to this project for our residents. 

“A skatepark brings a lot of benefits to a community like Upper Darby,” said Olkowski. “Skateparks reach across so many boundaries and help kids learn things like resilience, creativity and perseverance.  It can be a singular activity, or one you do with friends. Skateparks  are inclusive spaces because they  create a community themselves - older skaters teaching the new ones how to skate, people coming to watch and support, adaptive athletes and those with physical disabilities finding a place they can truly use.”

This new grant funding will go towards building the 10,000 square foot all-wheels recreational space at Observatory Hill park. It is the goal of Upper Darby Township and the Delco Skatepark Coalition to ensure that riders of any ability will be able to use this park. Usability is key, but overall Mayor Keffer stressed that the purpose of the park is for all our residents to enjoy a fun, communal activity. Olkowski agreed, stating that the coalition’s goal is that everyone is able to truly use and enjoy the features in the skatepark, no matter what type of wheels they are rolling on.

“From the start, I have been a hands-on, grassroots mayor. The idea for a skatepark came directly from our community and it’s an honor to help make that a reality,” Mayor Keffer said. “I’m pleased to be working with the Delco Skatepark Coalition who is just as dedicated to bringing accessible recreation to our residents as I am. Skating of all kinds has become one of the most popular forms of modern recreation because it can be so accessible to all kinds of people, and in a place as diverse as Upper Darby, that’s doubly important. ”

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