Shade Structure Going Up at Roseburg Skate Park After Grant-Funded Improvements

Work is underway this week on a new shade structure at the Roseburg Skate Park, bringing back a feature the park has gone without for about a decade.

The City of Roseburg’s Public Works Department contracted the installation of the new structure, which is expected to measure about 20 feet by 24 feet. The project was made possible after Thrive Umpqua secured a $95,000 Community Health Improvement Plan grant from Umpqua Health Alliance on the city’s behalf.

The structure is being built on an existing concrete pad next to the skate park, where an earlier shade cover once stood before it was removed around 10 years ago.

The grant also paid for another park upgrade already in place - a new drinking fountain equipped with a water bottle filling station.

For local riders, the return of a shaded area is more than just a construction project. Cody Scott, owner of Paranormal Action Sports, said the addition will make a big difference during the warmer months by giving skaters and BMX riders a place to cool off.

Scott was at the skate park Wednesday during a free BMX event for youth while crews worked nearby on the new structure. He said the project is especially meaningful to him because of his long history at the park.

“I’m so excited,” Scott said. “I’ve been riding my bike here for about 16 years. This was my home away from home.”

He said the previous shade structure was heavily damaged over time, with graffiti, holes in the wood, and even a picnic bench removed and repurposed as an obstacle.

Now, Scott said he is encouraging younger riders and skaters to take pride in the park and help protect the new addition once it is completed. He also urged people not to spray paint surfaces in the park, especially the concrete riding areas, because paint can make them dangerously slick.

“This is another home - something to protect, just as we would our own home,” Scott said.

The project marks another improvement for the skate park and adds both comfort and function for the community members who use it regularly.