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3D drawings and a fly-through video of the new Flaxmere skate plaza have been released today, and it looks fantastic!
The design is the result of consultation with more than 200 skateboarders, scooterers, school students and parents, as well as Flaxmere residents.
Laid out over 1375m2 square metres, there is almost everything the skaters and scooterers wanted, including quarter pipes, ledges, rails, stairs, ramps, kerbs and bowls - more than 20 elements.
There is also a kiosk with outdoor seating area, as well as seating in and around the plaza. The existing trees, which are all being retained, will provide shade.
Hastings District councillor Peleti Oli said the skate plaza will be an awesome addition to Flaxmere Park.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re into it will be there – for action we’ll have the skatepark and the new basketball court adding to the playground, ki-o-rahi field, sports grounds, disc golf, and exercise equipment, or you can take a walk or jog under the trees, or bring a picnic and a deck of cards or a chess set and chill out.”
Closely involved in the skate plaza design was a working group made up of students from each of the schools in Flaxmere. They canvassed wider groups of students on everything from the jumps and ramps, to safety, artwork and seating, then worked with top Kiwi skate facility designer Richard Smith on how the plaza would look and function. ‘Skater-dads’ were also integral to the design process.
Copies of the designs are going up on display in Flaxmere Park, in the foyer of the Flaxmere Community Centre, and on social media..
Just before the designs went public, the student working group was treated to a ‘sneak peek’ in Council chambers.
They were more than happy. A chorus of ‘awesomes’ followed their first look at the 3D video presentation.
Irongate School’s Arkyss Ngarotata, 13, said the students could clearly see the impact of their input. “It was a thrill to see what the new skatepark will look like and see how the planning we did is part of that.”
High on the list of the working group’s priorities was that the skate plaza reflect Flaxmere’s culture. To achieve that, a group of local artists has been invited to work together on the art work. That process will be ongoing over the next few months, ahead of an expected start on construction mid-next year.
The skate plaza site, in Flaxmere Park on the corner of Henderson Rd and Swansea Rd, was selected for its high visibility (a proven deterrent to anti-social behaviour), and its proximity to the playground, public toilets and drinking fountain. Public consultation confirmed that it was the most popular site for the facility.
The new skate plaza replaces the existing skate bowl behind Flaxmere Village, which is being removed this month to make way for residential and commercial development.
For more information see the Flaxmere Skate Plaza project page.
27 October 2021
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