New parks to accompany bridge in Roanoke's Wasena area

New ramps, rails and a pump track are among elements planned for the revamped Wasena Skatepark, which should be ready to roll by the end of the year, city officials said during a groundbreaking event Wednesday.

Announcement of a November completion timeline surprised skaters like Alek Patton, director of a grassroots group called Roanoke Skatepark Initiative. People thought they wouldn’t skate the new park until next year, he said.

“We’ve been fundraising and doing community events, all sorts of stuff like that, for 10 years now,” Patton said. “Seeing it come even quicker than we expected is so sick.”

Even before the skatepark initiative formed, previous generations of skaters laid the groundwork to convince city leaders to invest more in the skateboarding community, he said. The former Wasena Skatepark in its final years was rundown, and the Roanoke Valley lacks sanctioned skate spots elsewhere.

“Roanoke loves skateboarding. Skateboarding loves Roanoke,” Patton said. “We’re here to do our thing.”

This park will have features for every skill level, said City Engineer Luke Pugh, himself a former skater.

“We really wanted to make a park where everybody could feel welcome,” Pugh said. “Certain parts of the skatepark are for beginners, for intermediate users, and then there’s some advanced.”

Councilman Nick Hagen said it’s more than ramps and rails.

“It’s a dynamic destination, a place that promotes creativity, athleticism and community,” Hagen said. “Skate culture has always been about bringing people together across backgrounds and generations, and we are proud to support a project that embraces the spirit right here in the Star City.”

In addition to private donations and support from the Roanoke Outside Foundation, funds from the neighboring localities of Salem and Vinton contributed to the $1.6 million skatepark project, officials said.

Next to the skatepark will be a mile-long stretch of “in-river park” for paddlers on the Roanoke River, said Park Projects Manager Katie Slusher. It’ll provide more safe access points to the water and create new in-river features, she said.

“It will become a part of a larger, linear park that has become the spine of our city,” Slusher said. “A network of parks knit together by the Roanoke River Greenway and blueway.”

That, too, has been an idea for at least 10 years, and will be the first park of its kind in the state, she said. It’s a roughly $5 million project, with potential for future expansion further downstream, she said. It’s due to be completed in 2026.

“There’s already been a lot of change in this neighborhood,” Slusher said. “It’s difficult, but transformative.”

Those new park features are pieces of a broader transformation happening in Wasena, under the shadow of a $50 million replacement of the old Main Street Bridge. It closed for demolition in April 2024, and is scheduled to reopen in spring 2026.

The skatepark and river park are not just recreational upgrades, but investments in placemaking and outdoor economy, said Deputy City Manager Sam Roman.

“This neighborhood is a true gem in our community, and today’s groundbreaking only builds on its growing reputation as a hub for recreation, connection and creativity,” Roman said. “When the dust settles, Wasena will be even more of a destination than it already is.”

Business owners in Wasena say they are weathering the impact of the bridge closure, now halfway through the project. Without the bridge, people heading toward downtown are detouring around rather than through Wasena.

It’s caused a noticeable decrease in foot traffic to Roasters Next Door, said owner Quincy Randolph, who was pouring iced coffees at the groundbreaking event on Wednesday.

“Business has been on the slower side,” Randolph said. “Even though we are a neighborhood-focused shop, people forget how much traffic was coming down that way.”

It’s required some adjustments for the 6-year-old business, he said. But he’s hopeful that the new bridge and park features will soon bring busier days.

“I’ve learned to be cautiously optimistic as a business owner,” Randolph said. “I don’t think the return will happen overnight, but we do hope that when it’s all said and done, the area will be more trafficked than ever.”