The skateboarding community has been severely under served in Charlotte for, pretty much, its entire existence.  Anyone who has walked around the city has surely noticed the skate stoppers on virtually every ledge, bench, and handrail.  We can't even ride our skateboards on the street without potential legal trouble (this is also true for roller blades, scooters, etc.)  Despite the city's growth over the last decade, there has yet to be any plan to create a designated area for skaters and other extreme sport enthusiasts.  Local skaters have used thousands of dollars of their own money to build DIY skate parks.  However, these are built without city approval on old foundations, and are consistently demolished.  The bottom line is, skateboarders are NEVER GOING AWAY.  It would not be difficult for the city to take a portion of an existing park, like Romare Bearden Park or First Ward Park, and build a public skate plaza.  Not only would this draw skaters away from areas where they are prohibited, but it would create opportunities to attract more tourism with events like contests and demonstrations.  A public skate plaza would be more accessible than the few privately owned parks we have in the city, especially for younger/underprivileged kids who may not be able to afford park admission fees.  It's no secret that many people in the community see us as a nuisance, but the reality is we do not want to cause harm to anyone or private/public property.  We need a place in Charlotte that we can call home!