This page was created by the City of Augusta, KS in partnership with Spohn Ranch Skateparks to engage
09/22/2023
After the long wait, construction on Augusta's new skatepark project has finally begun! Crews from Spohn Ranch are actively performing earthwork on site and we expect to see pavement going down soon. Only about an 8 week build. You'll be skating soon Augusta!
05/17/2022
A message from Josh Burns and the Augusta Skatepark Fund:
“Do what Bam says and donate!. Star of MTV's Viva La Bam and Jackass has a message. Let’s get those kids off their butts and skating! https://gofund.me/e0afb121 The Skatepark Project First Try Foundation The Board Awakens Skatepark and Outfitter Kerosene Skate Shop - Wichita"
Bam says DONATE!!! Do what Bam says and donate!. Lets get those kids off their butts and skating.DONATE HERE: https://gofund.me/e0afb121
05/03/2022
The City of Augusta is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive a $15,000 grant from the Skatepark Project (formerly known as the Town Hawk Foundation) to put towards the construction of the Augusta Community Skatepark!
To date, The Skatepark Project grants have helped to create nearly 700 public skateparks across the US, enjoyed by an estimated 6 million people annually and improving our communities through more access to free, public, fun recreation. Thank you to all the advocates, donors, business owners, and more who have supported the project thus far!
The City is currently waiting to hear back about final approval for our Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant application, which has been recommended for approval to the National Park Service by the State of Kansas. This application was for $104,489.50 in funding, which, barring an unexpectedly large donation, will be necessary to construct our chosen preliminary design. The City has been informed that the NPS is significantly backlogged on reviewing LWCF applications, so it could take a while for us to hear back about final approval.
In the meantime, this grant from the Skatepark Project will help us cover any increases to the cost of the project. Our community advocates will also continue their fundraising efforts, which will include an effort to raise additional funding for the purchase of a shade structure at the skatepark.
To learn more about the history and status of the Augusta Community Skatepark Project, as well as how you can get involved and support the effort, visit the project page on the City website (link below):
https://www.augustaks.org/government/departments/community_development/parks_and_recreation/skatepark/index.php
(Second image created by local skateboarder and project advocate Josh Burns)
**Update: Community Skatepark Project and LWCF Grant Application**
Some mixed news for the Augusta Skatepark Project.
About a month ago, we were informed that our LWCF grant application has been recommended for approval by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks and has moved to the National Park Service for final review. We were one of four projects recommended for approval (out of ten applications). After talking to the state grant administrator recently, we were told it was fine to announce this development as long as we clarified that it was not a guarantee of full approval. But it certainly is a positive sign!
However, we were also informed in our conversation with the state grant administrator that the NPS is currently significantly backlogged on reviewing LWCF applications. This means it may be a while before we receive final word on our application and, if it is approved, can move forward with the project. This is obviously not ideal, but we did not make it this far without patience and we are committed to seeing this project through and bringing a skatepark to Augusta.
In the meantime, we will continue to support our local and regional skateboarders in their community fundraising efforts and look out for other potential grant opportunities.
03/07/2022
A big win for our community fundraising efforts! The First Try Foundation is partnering with Walmart to commit to donating $10,000 to the Augusta Community Skatepark project. Thank you so much to the First Try Foundation and shoutout to the Augusta Skatepark Fund for getting in contact with them!
02/24/2022
We are still waiting to hear back from the National Park Service about the final result of our LWCF grant application. In the meantime, our local skateboarding community is still very hard at work at fundraising!
They will be hosting a co****le tournament on March 26 at Sugar Shane's Cafe to raise funding for the skatepark project. Mark your calendars! And make sure to join the Augusta Skatepark Fund Facebook group if you want to become more involved or aware of community fundraising efforts!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/augustaskateparkfund
09/08/2021
Update: Last night, the Augusta City Council approved a Resolution of Support for our LWCF Application and authorized staff to submit it. They also approved the Park Advisory Board's recommendations for the footprint and modified preliminary design for the skatepark.
The LWCF application is due on Wednesday, September 15th. We are still looking for letters of support for the project. Each one we include will strengthen the application, especially letters from skateboarders. They don't have to be very long. If you're interested in writing a letter, please email Assistant to the City Manager Susie Geiger at [email protected].
The City of Augusta will hold a public hearing during the City Council Meeting on September 7, 2021 to take public comment on the City's submission of an application to the LWCF Grant Program for funding for the Augusta Community Skatepark Project. See the notice linked below for more information:
09/01/2021
Firstly, thank you to everyone who showed up to the design workshop last night! We appreciate you taking an active interest in the skatepark project and helping our consultant craft the ideal design for Augusta.
The Park Advisory Board will be meeting tomorrow night at 6 PM at City Hall to discuss the feedback we received at the workshop and make a recommendation to City Council on what project footprint and preliminary design option to use moving forward. The City Council will review these recommendations at their meeting on Tuesday, September 7 at 7:00 PM (rescheduled from Monday due to the Labor Day holiday).