BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – The former tennis court in Rooster Front Park in Bristol, Tennessee has been the placeholder for local skaters for quite some time.

The community and Parks and Recreation Director Terry Napier have been working together to set up a permanent home for the skating community.

Ultimately, they came up with three locations that would meet the needs and so a community meeting was held. That’s when everyone came to an agreement on the same location. DeFriece Park may be the place, according to Napier.

“We’re in the budget process for the city right now,” Napier said. “And I have requested funding in the Fiscal Year ’24 budget, which will be July 1st. I have requested funding to build the new park, the Skate Bristol Group has also applied for a grant to the Tony Hawk Foundation, and they’re also doing local fundraisers, auctions and concerts.”

George Linke, the founder of Skate Bristol, a grassroots organization that supports the skating community, says he has been working around the clock beside Napier to put the skate park in the community.

“My main focus is working with the City of Bristol for the skatepark and serving the community,” Linke said.

“Skating is growing in this area. I used to skate when I was a kid here in Bristol and to be able to do that for the community now feels so rewarding,” he said.

The project has been getting support from the community as well. Napier is pleased to see the support from the community.

“A lot of people in the community that have nothing to do with a skateboard have said, you know, I support this. This is great. These kids need stuff to do,” Napier said. “This will not be a skatepark, this will be an all-wheel park. It’ll be for skaters and inline skate and all that.”

Skate Bristol has applied for grants through the Tony Hawk Foundation and is exploring a grant with the American Dermatological Association for shade at the facility.

“We want to make sure that not only everyone is having a good time, but protected from the sun as well, safety is important especially in the warmer months,” Linke said.

If approved in the budget, construction on the skate park could start spring of next year.