David Armstrong Extreme Park in Louisville, KY has been a landmark for the skate community since it opened in 2002. This park was one of the few spaces in the country that was open to the public to skate 24/7 until the city’s recent decision to limit park hours from 6:00am-11:00pm. This decision changes the 20-year tradition of having a unique 24/7 skatepark, and limits the ability of second and third shift workers to access the park. Safety concerns due to gun violence and illegal activity have been cited for this decision. Media and the city have portrayed violent incidents to the Extreme Park and the skate community, although the skate community is not the ones instigating the violence. Reports of gun violence in the area continue to be made despite the new curfew and compliance of the park community. This illustrates that the issue is not with the skatepark itself.

The Louisville skate community feels deeply about having a 24/7 skatepark to ensure skaters of all schedules have a chance to utilize the space. Already, members of the skate community help clean and pick up trash, although there is only one trash can available to dispose of this. The community is aware that changes need to be made to help keep the park safe and have proper upkeep. We want to work with the city and the community to ensure the park can be a safe, welcoming space. As such, we are requesting help with the following:

1) Providing basic Louisville Metro park amenities that are consistent with other Louisville Metro parks, such as functional bathrooms and access to drinking water. The bathrooms at the skatepark have remained locked and inaccessible at all hours. Other parks in the Metro area provide staff to open the bathrooms at 6:00am, close them at 11:00pm, and hold routine cleaning of these facilities. The skate community is asking that the bathrooms at the skatepark be held to these same standards. There are no convenient facilities in the area open for public use and this is a needed service for accessibility. 

2) Infrastructure to prevent access to the park by motorized vehicles. There has been an increase in motorized vehicles utilizing the skatepark and this is a hazard for everyone. We propose that barriers be installed at the entrances of the park to prevent motorized vehicles from entering the property. 

The Louisville skate community wants to see Dave Armstrong Extreme Park be a flourishing community space. Currently the park is used by people of all ages. It has brought professional athletes from all over into Louisville to specifically make use of this space. Many community events and programming could be developed to draw more people to the park and create a sense of togetherness. The skatepark is an asset to the Louisville community and deserves to be treated as such, as well as keep its unique 24/7 status.