Heard on NRPAnet: concrete skatepark maintenance - Tip-Off

What does maintenance and management of a concrete skatepark entail? That was a recent question on NRPA's listserv, NRPAnet. For information on how to join the discussion, select "NRPAnet" from the right-hand side of NRPA's Web site (www.nrpa.org), Here are some of the responses to the skatepark-maintenance query.

"We have a 22,000-square-foot concrete skatepark. We have minimal maintenance costs (lights and trash pick-up)--it's next to a recreation center and is monitored by closed-circuit TV. It's free to the public. We also have a skatepark on a 15,000-square-foot slab with portable Skatewave equipment. It's also free to the public, but isn't monitored. It requires more checking by the field crews (three times per week)."

"Our 12,500-square-foot skatepark is built of concrete, and opened in 1997. "We have one full-time manager, seven part-time attendants and a part-time custodian. Costs are as follows: staffing, $98,800; maintenance/other operating, $ 39,000; supplies, $3,800; for a total of $ 141,600. The original budget was approximately $100,000, and has increased each year as lights get older and bulbs need replacement, increased staff costs and concrete maintenance, etc. Concrete repairs have increased each year for us as we repair cracks and chips in obstacles."

"Our community skatepark facility was opened in 2000. It's an approximately 15,500-square-foot concrete facility. Currently, our facility is unsupervised--it's an enter-at-own-risk type facility, and signed in the same manner. We've had recurring maintenance costs pertaining to the concrete, and a multitude of cracks and some heaving at about 1/2 inch in some places in 2002. We spent approximately $3000 in equipment, person hours and materials to get the facility back into shape and risk-free. We've not had any additional costs beyond that."

"We have a 10,000-square-foot park. We staff our park during peak usage, which is about 30-40 hours per week during the year. We budget for $15,000-$25,000 per year for monitoring. With regard to maintenance, I believe our public services department estimated it to be around $ 10,000 per year."

"The only costs for the first few years should be operating. Higher maintenance costs after five years would depend on if the park contains concrete coping."