Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
This project is a major renovation and expansion of an old asphalt basketball court that served as Bremerton’s only skatepark from 1996 to 2002. The old facility utilized mostly hand-made wooden modular equipment that deteriorated, became unsafe, and had to be removed. Based on enthusiastic public input from over 50 future users, the new skatepark will feature mostly street elements. It will be approximately 10,000 square feet, and will have an adjoining unisex restroom. It has been centrally located for convenience of the majority of its users (i.e. Bremerton Middle School, Junior High, and High School students). Since the new skatepark will be located in an existing park (i.e. Eastpark), there will be no costs for land acquisition, and significant savings will be gained by being able to tap into existing utilities, and utilizing an existing parking lot. The current Bremerton Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan states that additional neighborhood parks are needed, and one of the most requested listing is a skatepark. For the past two years, Bremerton Skateboarders and Supporters United (BSSU) have actively been pushing for a new Skate Facility, and in conjunction with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department have been instrumental in acquiring approximately $150,080 in matching funds. (i.e. $95,000 CDBG for design & construction, $25,000 from BSSU/Kitsap County, $5,080 from BSSU, and $25,000 from the Bremerton Central Lions Charitable Foundation).