Skate Park Eyed in Beverly

In 2012, Patch asked readers what new business they thought should go in the former Bell Market space on Cabot Street in Beverly, which at that time had been empty for two years.

Most readers wanted to fill the space with another grocery store like Trader Joes, an organic grocery store, Market Basket, or Aldi. One person thought the building would be best as a community center. No one mentioned the words “skate park.”

But in December 2014 a group of skater boys took to GoFundMe to raise the money they would need to transform Bell Market into a pop-up skate shop. And the community supported it full-heartedly.

The Market Boys, as they call themselves, have currently raised $5,629 from 85 supporters. People who didn’t want to donate online offered to make cash donations and others offered ramps and other equipment for the skate park.The Market Boys’ campaign did so well that they raised their initial goal of $5,000 to $8,000.

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Now, they are looking to open the pop-up shop within the next couple months. The initial $5,000 raised was instrumental in securing the location, The Market Boys said on their Facebook page. Further raised funds will go toward ramps and other obstacles for the skate park.

“We have received an overwhelming amount of support for The Market and this initial $5,000 is going to get us in the doors and started faster than we could have imagined,” The Market Boys said after reaching their initial goal.

Anyone interested in helping The Market Boys get the skate park up and running can still donate on their GoFundMe page.

image via The Market on Facebook

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