By: Merri Shaffer - Staff Writer, The Daily Beacon

Skateboarders and BMX riders finally have a place of their own.

The new Knoxville Skatepark stands in Tyson Park on what used to be UT’s softball field.

Joe Walsh, director of City of Knoxville parks and recreation, said it was the foundations, like the lighting, already set down on the property that allowed the skatepark to be built so quickly.

The park had its grand opening on Jan. 28, 2008, with Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and City of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and about 150 skaters present, Walsh said.

“It’s been packed every day since it’s been open,” Walsh said.

The development of this new skatepark is a partnership between the City of Knoxville and Knox County Parks & Recreation and skateboard enthusiasts, he said.

“We had so many skateboarders in Knoxville with no place to go,” Walsh said. “(They were) creating a nuisance … because they wanted to skate but had no park.

“We have (given) them a place to skate without running into any complications.”

Walsh said the location of the new park is also ideal because it is located on the bus line, which allows a lot of young skaters to have access.

“We wanted something highly visible, so parents can feel safe to have their kids go there,” he said.

Walsh said he has heard the demand for a skatepark since he began his job 15 years ago, but it had been a low priority until recent years.

Knox County Parks & Recreation and the City of Knoxville both contributed $200,000 to fund the park, while Lamar Advertising, the Tony Hawk foundation and a number of local fundraisers helped contribute $145,000 more.

Walsh said the whole process took about a year and a half to complete. Using a design from California Skateparks, the Knoxville departments and local skaters got together to help design Knoxville’s very own skate park.

“We wanted to make sure (local skateboarders) were included and make them part of the process,” Walsh said.

The skatepark consists of a plaza area with banks, bowls, ledges, rails, stairs and more.

Though the landscape is still incomplete, with mud and straw surrounding the bowls, the park has attracted families, skateboarders and BMX bike riders of all ages and levels.

The park is open from dawn to 9 p.m.

No alcohol, drugs, profanity or fighting is permitted, according to the posted rules, and helmets are required.

Daniel E. Clark, freshman in psychology, has been to the park a few times already.

“It’s a really nice place for kids to go,” Clark said. “They aren’t out doing drugs and whatnot and smoking weed.”

He said police come by once in a while to make sure everyone is wearing a helmet, but other than that, it is unsupervised.