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Public hearing hears support to rename Boundary Street Park the Oakland DIY skate park
Summary
At a Pittsburgh City Council public hearing June 10, 2025, a registered speaker and council representatives described the community-built skate facility at Boundary Street Park and discussed Council Bill 18 o 7, a resolution to rename the site the Oakland Do It Yourself skate park. No vote was recorded at the hearing.
At a public hearing of the Pittsburgh City Council on June 10, 2025, a registered speaker urged the council to rename Boundary Street Park in Central Oakland as the Oakland Do It Yourself skate park under Council Bill 18 o 7.
AJ Hadden, a University of Pittsburgh student studying mechanical engineering who said he has lived in Oakland for three years, told the hearing that local skateboarders and volunteers have turned an underused lot into a nationally known do‑it‑yourself skate facility. "Our goal is to change the park's name to the Oakland DIY as it resembles who we are and what we came from," Hadden said.
The clerk read the bill subject into the record as: "Bill 18 o 7, resolution renaming the Boundary Street Park located in Central Oakland as the Oakland Do It Yourself skate park." The hearing format allowed each registered speaker three minutes; Hadden was the only registered speaker to testify.
Council representatives on the call praised the site and noted partnerships that helped maintain it. A hearing official said, "Anybody who hasn't seen this skate park, it is really something else," and acknowledged Department of Public Works staff, including Gary Schulley, as a partner in upkeep and initial improvements such as landscaping and restoring a water fountain.
Hadden said the space serves multiple purposes beyond skating: "It's having a space where people can learn, people can be inspired to learn, to create, to invent, whether that's building with concrete, meeting new friends, enjoying the sport, or just admiring the space and the creativity it's shown over the last half decade." He asked council members to contact him with questions and described ongoing plans for the site.
No vote or formal action on the bill was recorded at the hearing. The presiding official indicated anticipation that the renaming would proceed and suggested a celebration once final approval is secured.
The hearing concluded after the public testimony and the meeting was adjourned.
