KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – Construction is set to begin on the new site of the Scott Adams Memorial Skate Park. City officials and local skateboarders held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday afternoon for the new park at Brickyard Park.
The old skate park near downtown Kingsport is set to be demolished for a new Domtar loading facility. City officials say the new park could be completed by April 2022.
The $1.8 million facility was approved by the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen in August.
Skateboarder Charles Barnett said the new facility should be an appropriate new home for the Kingsport skating community.
“It was a very welcoming place to skate,” Barnett said about the old location. “The local community’s amazing. This new skate park, I think it’s going to be out of this world. It’ll be so much better and a lot more competitive and bring a lot more opportunity to Kingsport.”
Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt said the new skate park will enhance both Brickyard Park and the Parks and Recreation system.
“The goal was to take this former industrial site and create a magnet for downtown, to create an economic generator,” McCartt said.
City officials said funding has been approved for an adjacent bike park and residential apartments.
