New Skate Bowl Opens In Baltimore County For 1st Time In 50 Years: See Photos

Press release from the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks:

October 4, 2024

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Department of Recreation and Parks officials today joined state and local elected leaders and skateboarding advocates to debut the new Hazelwood Skate Park, the County’s second public skate bowl facility.

“Our residents deserve modern and inclusive recreational opportunities, and Hazelwood Skate Park – the first new skate bowl in Baltimore County in the last 50 years – is a vibrant new resource for our communities,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “Building on the advocacy of skateboarding enthusiasts and community leaders, this one-of-a-kind park provides a place where residents of all ages and skill levels can make friends, explore their talents, and become a part of Baltimore County’s skateboarding community.”

Plans for Hazelwood Skate Park were initiated in response to testimony from Baltimore County Skateboard Council President Bill Felter and fellow skateboard enthusiasts at County Executive Olszewski’s signature Budget Town Hall series. The Council also provided input into the park’s design.

This one-of-a-kind, concrete bowl project, which features two large concrete bowls for skaters and bikers of various levels along with a custom skate plaza and two covered pavilions, is the eastern counterpart to the Sandy Hills Skate Park in Lansdowne – known to many as the ‘Downer – which was built in the 1970s. Baltimore County also has two modular skate parks: Hannah More Skate Park in Reisterstown and Cockeysville Skate Park in Cockeysville.

“We are excited to bring this new recreational dynamic to the Hazelwood and Rosedale area,” said Baltimore County Councilman Mike Ertel. “Our youth need more positive opportunities and this skate park will give them another venue to interact and have fun.”

Hazelwood Park is situated along the planned Northeast Regional Trail extension, which will link the park with a host of other venues, including Holt Park and Center for the Arts, Linover Park, the Overlea Park Site, Overlea High School Recreation Center and Elmwood Elementary School Recreation Center, thereby enhancing accessibility and connectivity for County residents.

Baltimore County’s newest recreation offering is part of a broader vision to enhance recreational spaces. Recent projects in Eastern Baltimore County include the rejuvenation of Hamiltowne Park, the new Middle River Recreation Activity Center (RAC) and Essex Field at Renaissance Park, and the soon-to-open Rosedale RAC.

“The new Hazelwood Skate Park demonstrates our commitment to providing quality recreational opportunities of many types to County residents and visitors,” said Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks Director Bob Smith. “This project showcases our responsiveness to and partnership with Bill Felter and the Baltimore County Skateboard Council in creating this exciting new amenity.”

This $4.3 million project was made possible with approximately $2 million in grant funds, including $1.3 million from Maryland’s Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure (LPPI) Program, $535,000 from Program Open Space, and $150,000 in state aid secured at the state legislature.

This project was designed by TranSystems (formerly Whitney Bailey Cox & Magnani – WBCM) with subconsultant Pillar Design Studios, a renowned industry leader in skatepark design. The general contractor was North Point Builders, which subcontracted with Artisan Skatepark.

This press release was produced by the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. The views expressed here are the author’s own.