VIDEO: Skate Park Opens in New Lenox

The New Lenox Park District officially opened its new skate park last week, and skaters are already posting videos of the fun they're having. 

The Park District was one of 36 to be awarded the 2011 Open Space Lands Aquisition and Development grant, which is financed by part of the state’s real estate transfer tax. The Park District will match the $372,000 grant to enhance  and Royal Meadows parks, which sit on 16.5 acres of adjacent land. 

The , which Park District Director Greg Lewis said is something the district struggled to find a spot for previously. 

"Nobody wanted it in their back yard, so to speak," he said in a previously article. "But while there are issues with skate parks, if you build them right and design them right you can mitigate those problems. And New Lenox needs more things for kids to do to stay out of trouble."

The skate park's construction company, Spohn Ranch, blogged about the progress on its website, saying a few of the highlights are a mini-ramp, a modern A-frame section and a manual pad/ledge combination in the 4,000-square-foot park. 

"Presented with a tight plot and even tighter budget, we focused on providing strong feature diversity without overcrowding the space and causing traffic issues," the company writes in the blog post. "We are sure that the local youth, freshly released from school, will be enjoying this park at the first chance."

Previously, skaters were taking advantage of the new park before it opened, and the Park District issued a warning to trespassers. Here's what the Park District previously had to say: 

Skateboarding's origins are rooted in rebellion—dodging in and out of parking lots, sneaking into backyard pools. And even though the sport has become more mainstream and accessible, kids are still skating where they shouldn't be.

A skate park. 

OK, so they should be skating there, just not yet. New Lenox's skate park is not currently open to the public in the , but some videos posted on YouTube show kids skating, rollerblading and biking at the park, which is located on the south end of New Lenox. 

"Although we realize the kids are very excited, those using it are illegally using it," said Lauren Lotz of the . 

Lotz said the park is still under construction, and when the skating area is completed there will be official signage posted. A grand opening date will be announced later. 

For now, though, the park is closed and it's illegal to be on the property. Lotz said the Park District will be installing a chain-link fence around the premises and will notify the New Lenox Police Department to patrol the area and that anyone caught will be prosecuted.

The completion of the park is ahead of schedule, Lotz said, but the site requires turf restoration that was recently seeded and the inspection for any cracks in the concrete. 

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