Riverside's New Skatepark Should Be Named For Founder, CB Says

UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN — Upper West Siders will ask the city to rename Riverside Park's newly-renovated skatepark for its founder and skateboarding pioneer Andy Kessler.

Community Board 7 voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the city's Parks Commissioner to rename the park for Kessler, who led the charge to build the Riverside park, New York City's first dedicated skatepark, and several other parks around the country.

The vote comes after a push from the Upper West Side skating community, many of which knew Kessler before he died in 2009.

"This is a big deal," one member of the New York City Skate Coalition told the board. "It's awesome to see the skateboard community and the local government come together and create an environment for kids who will enjoy this for generations."

The naming request comes as the city wraps up a $2.6-million renovation of the Riverside Park skatepark, which they began last summer after years of planning.

When the new park debuts after construction it will feature an 11-foot-deep bowl, a vertical skating element that will make Riverside Park stand out compared to skate parks around the city.

The new park will also feature a half pipe, a quarter pipe and beginner skating area, skating banks and elevated areas with elements such as table tops and stairs.

Community Board 7 members said they wanted to ensure the request to name the park after Kessler reached the Parks Commissioner before the renovated park reopens this spring.

Kessler, who spent most of his life living on the Upper West Side, lobbied for and designed the Riverside skatepark in the late 1990s. He also designed parks across New York, including Brooklyn's first skatepark in Bay Ridge.

Friends said he skateboarded "until the day he died" from an allergic reaction to a wasp sting.

"It was a huge blow to the skateboard community," said Ian Clarke, another NYC Skateboard Coalition member. "He was New York City's most prominent skateboarder."