Foundation awards $350,000 grant for all-wheels skatepark
The Harrison County Community Foundation (HCCF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce a grant award of $350,000 to the Town of Corydon for the construction of an 8,000-square-foot concrete all-wheels skatepark and fingerboard table. The skatepark will be located on the former Gerdon Auto property between East Chestnut Street and Little Indian Creek on the east side of town. It will be adjacent to the new playground and restrooms which was part of the Rice Island extension project. The development of the skatepark is a grassroots effort initiated by Sam Miller and Gary Graves, local skaters who recognized the need and drove the project.
The all-wheels skatepark is designed to accommodate a wide range of non-motorized, personal mobility devices, including BMX bikes, skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, scooters, and even wheelchairs, ensuring accessibility for individuals of all abilities. Additionally, the inclusion of a fingerboard table - a mini skatepark used with toy skateboards controlled by fingers - will provide a distinctive feature that will attract enthusiasts of this activity that has grown in popularity over the years. Notably, the fingerboard table in Corydon will be the first of its kind in the Louisville Metro region.
The total estimated cost for the skatepark project is approximately $1.4 million. The Town of Corydon committed to moving forward with the project once the community, led by the Chamber of Commerce of Harrison County in partnership with Main Street Corydon, successfully raised $350,000 in donated funds and grant funding. “The Town of Corydon and Harrison County have proven time and again that what we struggle to accomplish on our own is achievable when we come together, collaborate, and pool resources,” said Lisa Long, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Harrison County. Other sponsors of the project include Duke Energy as the rain garden sponsor, First Harrison Bank as the banked hip sponsor as well as Dr. Mattingly and the Corydon Rotary Club as tree sponsors.
“The town council voted to accept the HCCF grant for the skatepark at their August 20th meeting and also committed the matching funds to see the project through construction,” stated Bruce Cunningham, Corydon Town Manager. “We are very thankful for Harrison County Community Foundation and our partners at Main Street Corydon and the Chamber of Commerce for helping us with planning and fundraising. We are now finalizing our design, engineering, and construction team and hope to break ground late in 2024 or early next year.”