The Burnside Bridge is shutting down and so is the skatepark below it; Oregon is cracking down on DIY skateparks, & local skateparks are running low on funding. The skating scene in Portland has been flourishing for years, but recently there have been more and more things getting in its way. The reasons for this range from earthquake preparedness to not meeting safety requirements.
The Burnside Bridge, a mainstay of many Portlander’s commutes, is planned to shut down for up to 5 years with a maximum cost of $895 Million. The time and money will be dedicated to making the new and improved bridge. The reason behind the remodel is to make the bridge earthquake-proof to allow emergency responders to get across the river faster. In the process of shutting down this bridge, the famous skatepark underneath is closing. Jarvis Eck, a local skater active in the Portland skate scene said “I guess all you can do is really communicate with skaters.”
The Burnside skatepark is massive as it’s often credited as one of the first diy skateparks ever made. People travel from out of state just to skate at this park. It gained a lot more fame in pop culture from its inclusion in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1-3, a popular trilogy of skateboarding games released in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The skatepark is being closed in conjunction with the bridge because the concrete that skaters had illegally placed is built onto multiple of the bridge’s support pillars. One of the contractors who’s working on the bridge, Jon Henrichsen, said “It’s still going to be there when the project is done,” when asked about the Burnside Skatepark in a public meeting.
Another part of the Portland skate scene is “Stronger,” which may shut down due to insufficient funding. Jarvis said “It’s like a really kid-friendly area…and that’s like the biggest thing we miss out on,” Stronger wasn’t able to keep up with payments during COVID-19 and needs to catch up on these payments before the landlord changes the tenets. According to their website (strongerskatepark.com) they need to raise at least $40,000, only raising $21,125 as of Sep. 30. To try and raise funds the park’s holding an auction online from Oct. 4 to 12 and an in-person auction on Oct. 12.
The Feral Cat Cove skatepark is also being threatened to shut down after nearly 4 years of being in the Portland area due to not meeting safety standards. “At the Feral Cat Cove there, they [Portland] just don’t really seem to care,” said Jarvis. The reason for its shutting down is its unofficial nature (just like Burnside). This unofficial nature makes it not meet safety measures as it is being made and run by random people in the community. There’s currently a petition set up needing 5,000 signatures on change.org/p/save-feral-cat-cove organized by Sutton Shwartz to keep the park open. Along with a donation box inside a local skate shop “Cal Skate” where you can donate to the park.
The skate scene in Portland is going through a lot of changes currently, good and bad. Hopefully, the Burnside Skatepark won’t get demolished, Stronger will get the required funding, and the Feral Cat Cove will fix its safety issues. Time will only tell what goes down in the tight-knit skate community in Portland.
