As a proud downtowner, your humble columnist often finds himself passing under Interstate 10 on Cushing Street.
The road is lined on both sides by large, empty and shaded gravel lots that have always struck the Road Runner as underutilized pieces of transportation infrastructure. Caleb Gutierrez and Kyle Araishi, two 20-something skateboarders who have recently discovered the power of civic engagement, couldn’t agree more.
Instead of gravel that slowly accumulates cigarette butts and other roadside trash, the two young men envision a skate park shielded from the summer’s punishing sun by already existing interstate bridge. Believe it or not, Tucson — where daytime three-digits highs can last for weeks on end — does not have a shaded outdoor skate park, according to city of Tucson parks and recreation staff.
“Tucson’s a hard place to skate,” Gutierrez said of the Old Pueblo’s famous heat.
They are likely not the first to have had the vision of harnessing the interstate’s already existing shade, but they have undoubtedly brought the idea closest to reality.
Over the summer, the pair submitted a video to a contest for skate park funding. The sponsoring company, the shoe company Vans, responded favorably, but told the two it couldn’t support a project that doesn’t have the green light from the relevant government agencies.
Instead of throwing in the towel, the two kept on, attending a September City Council meeting to plead their case. Councilwoman Regina Romero took an interest in the project and has helped the young men as they navigate local and state governments.
“The most interesting part of this process … is for the skating community and these young men to be able to go through the actual process of getting something done in their community,” she told the Road Runner.
Since that September meeting, Araishi and Gutierrez have met with officials from the Tucson Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Transportation, city administration and city parks and recreation. While not approving a specific project, all have said they are open to the idea of a skate park off Cushing, according to Romero. Romero suggested that the nearby 18th Street pedestrian I-10 underpass could also be a possible site, but said there are pros and cons to both locations, adding that, “We’re in the investigation stage.”
Caleb Gutierrez, left, and Kyle Araishi, posing for a photograph on Jan. 6, 2017, conceived the idea for the future Cushing Street Skate Park to be located under the Interstate 10 overpass on the street’s south side.
“A place where skaters can go that is shaded would definitely provide them with opportunities to skate longer through the year, escape the heat through the year and heat-related injuries and sun exposure,” said Sierra Davenport, a parks and recreation spokeswoman.
There are a number of examples of similar skate parks across the country: San Francisco’s SoMa West skate park is protected from the elements by Highway 101, and skaters at Portland’s world-famous Burnside Skate Park are kept out of the city’s even more famous rain by the Burnside Bridge.
Gutierrez and Araishi are now confronted with the daunting prospect of having to raise the necessary funds for such a facility largely on their own. Romero said the city will be able to support the effort logistically — providing guidance on design and assistance with grant applications, for example — but likely not financially, meaning alternative sources will be needed to get up to the estimated $90,000 cost.
There aren’t any specific designs yet, but Gutierrez said any park would certainly include a fence to prevent boards from running into traffic and different areas for different skill levels.
A GoFundMe site set up for the park has brought in over $1,500, and a single benefit concert at Hotel Congress a few weeks back raised another $1,000. Gutierrez estimated they have over $3,000 in the bank.
But to get the big bucks necessary, Gutierrez said he and Araishi are hoping that a nonprofit will take them “under their wing” to aid with fundraising and grant-writing efforts. They’ve reached out to several, but have so far had no luck.
Even so, the two are excited about how far the idea has come. Gutierrez said for much of his roughly 14 years skating in Tucson, the police and local government were an impediment to the pastime.
Now, having successfully negotiated with state and local officials to move the dream forward, Gutierrez is heartened by their willingness to hear him out and learn about the skateboarding talent Southern Arizona has.
“There’s talent here,” he said. “And I feel like we don’t have enough parks … to show the world.”
If you want to learn more about the effort, go to facebook.com/cushingstskatepark
