$3M Grant Near Doubles ROC City Skatepark

Since opening in 2020, the ROC City Skate Park has given enthusiasts a dedicated place to hone their skills. With a $3 million grant awarded on January 11 by the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS,) the park will be nearly doubling its size and add restrooms, event space, skating area, and other improvements and the City of Rochester is looking for community input.

Details and access to the survey are at https://www.cityofrochester.gov/roccityskatepark/  and the QR code printed with this article, but there are three options under consideration. The fourth and final option incorporating this public input will be designed by New Line Skateparks and Stantec, who designed ROC City. The City of Rochester has extended the community survey deadline to February 12, 2023.

All three options include restrooms and a 3,000 square foot plaza/staging area at the south side of the park next to the Genesee River Trail.  All three options utilize the space under the Frederick Douglass/Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, so there are height and digging restrictions.

Option 1 extends the flow of the original skate park into quarter pipe pockets, rollers, and a meandering banked edge for different lines. Next to the Genesee River Trail, a simple tech section will include rails, ledges, manual pads, and small stair sets.

Option 2 extends the flow of the original park into banked and quarter pipe hips, a volcano, and ledge. This simple tech station adjacent to the Genesee River Trail will include rails, ledges, banked hips, and a 10-stair feature.

Option 3 creates a flow zone “ditch” extending from the original park that includes rails, curbs, and manual pads. A more advanced tech station next to the trail will feature manual pads, flat gaps, rails, stairs sets, and tech islands.

The Phase Two and Three construction will add 11,200 square feet to the existing 14,300 square foot park. The first phase was awarded $1 million by New York State through the ROC the Riverway initiative and through an agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation.