The City of Plattsburgh announces 100K pledge to fund new skate park in Melissa Penfield Park

(PLATTSBURGH, NY - July 11, 2022) - The City of Plattsburgh hosted its second Parks Come Alive! Event on Thursday July 7th at Melissa Penfield Park and made the announcement that Lake Champlain Ferries has pledged $100K to the City of Plattsburgh to fund a new skatepark in Melissa Penfield Park.

Over 450 people attended the event on Thursday to listen to local band, Ursa and the Major Key, eat at various food trucks and converse with local community groups and nonprofits in the area. Thanks to a generous donation from Fidelis Care, a limited number of food vouchers were available to redeem at the trucks for free food. A beer garden (21+) hosted by Oval Craft brewing was also on site.

Two hours into the event, Mayor Chris Rosenquest made the announcement about the $100K pledge and shared the news with the community about this money being earmarked for a new skatepark in Melissa Penfield Park. “All of us growing up here have been looking at the same tired old skatepark equipment at Penfield. Our community has demanded a place where young people and teens can go and hang out and this is partially addressing that concern,” says Rosenquest. “Although $100k won’t complete the entire job, it’s absolutely the step in the right direction and hopefully will encourage other local employers and organizations to answer the call to action. Big thanks to Lake Champlain Ferries and their team for stepping up to the plate on this initiative.”

The design and development of the new skate park will be folded into the larger Parks Renewal Project that the City is currently working on. This is a 1.5 million dollar investment into the redesign of five of Plattsburgh’s major city parks. The project is currently in the public outreach phase and the public is encouraged to visit www.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov/parks-renewal to learn about the project and provide feedback.

The final Parks Come Alive event will be held on Thursday August 4th in South Acres park located at 23 Flynn Avenue from 4:30-7:30PM. Music, food, beer and family friendly activities will be set up to close out this new summer event series.