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Residents urge replacement skate park and parks funding as city says it will work with Beach & Park District on relocation
Summary
Dozens of residents, parents and skateboarders urged the council to fund a new downtown skate park after the existing Tim Huxtold Park is slated to be removed as part of the downtown campus project; city staff and the Beach & Park District said they are discussing options at North Park and will coordinate on funding and design.
Multiple speakers at public request on April 8 urged Boca Raton leaders to fund and prioritize a new skate park to replace the aging Tim Huxtold facility downtown, which will be removed as the city moves forward with government campus redevelopment plans.
Speakers included youth skateboarders, parents and community advocates. Steve Tempske, Pedro Delfino and several others asked the council to allocate funding so the Beach & Park District can construct a replacement facility at North Park; they said a high‑quality concrete park is needed to serve growing local interest and to support youth programs. Toni Ferlicciardi and other parents described programs that use skateboarding for STEAM education and mental‑health benefits and urged a purpose‑built design developed with skaters.
Young skaters, including Asher Capenera, spoke in favor of keeping skateboarding opportunities in the city and called for a modern facility. Supporters noted the sport’s Olympic status and pointed to examples in Jacksonville and Miami where properly built concrete skate parks draw regional use and events.
City response and next steps: City Manager George Brown and staff said the Beach & Park District recently passed an exploratory resolution to study a possible skate‑park addition at North Park (east side), and that the city is open to funding discussions. Brown said the city has committed to replacement of the skate park as part of the downtown redevelopment process and that staff will coordinate with the Beach & Park District and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board to develop financing and a design. The city noted there is not yet a firm funding amount; speakers cited construction costs for other recent parks ranging from roughly $3 million (Miami Lot 11 example) to $7 million (Jacksonville causeway park) depending on design scope.
Council members asked staff to continue coordination and to return options for funding and siting. The Beach & Park District and the Parks & Recreation Board were asked to report feasibility and budget options to council in the coming months.
