By Crystal Duan
Signal Staff Writer
Soon, Castaic residents will have the opportunity to use a skatepark in their area.
Its estimated grand opening will be sometime in January 2019, and construction is already underway.
The park is being built at the site of the Castaic Sports Complex, and approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors back in September 2016, according to Kevin Jimenez, spokesman for the county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Although it was approved two years ago, the need for a skatepark at the Castaic Sports Complex was a long time coming. That need was voiced by the community in various community meetings in the years leading up to the board letter being approved, Jimenez said.
Mike Riederer, Castaic resident and local skateboard instructor, confirmed the project has been a popular desire of the community for a long time.
“The skatepark has been in the works for over 10 years, and to see it all come together is very exciting,” he said. “Having a local skatepark here in Castaic is going to be a great outlet for the youth in our town.”
The proposed project will consist of a new approximately 6,500-square-foot in-ground concrete skate park with sports lighting, a covered seating area, drinking fountain, bike rack and perimeter walkways, Jimenez said.
There will also be upgrades to the existing parking lot for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, landscaping and irrigation system modifications and on-site drainage improvements to comply with county guidelines.
All contractors used will be local, Jimenez said.
Riederer, who is known in the skate community as “Hydro Mike,” currently goes to the Santa Clarita Skatepark at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex four to five times a week. He said there is no other place in the Castaic area for skating enthusiasts to get their fix.
The new skatepark has a total budget of $1.3 million, according to county data.
The county has also planned another skatepark that will be built at George Lane Park in Quartz Hill, but construction for that project will not begin until 2019, Jimenez said.
If You Go: Castaic Sports Complex:
While a skate park is in the works, the Los Angeles County Castaic Sports Complex has been operational since its dedication in 1992.
The Castaic Sports Complex sits on 54 acres, planned with much input from local community members and therefore designed to suit the recreational needs of the community.
There are baseball diamonds, gymnasium, walking paths, horseshoe pits and a state-of-the-art aquatic center.
The LEED Silver Certified Castaic Aquatics Center, dedicated on May 31, 2013, features a competition-sized 6,425-square-foot pool, 4,435 square-foot recreation pool with integrated splash pad and a 12,500 square-foot pool building.
The Castaic Regional Sports Complex is located at 31320 N. Castaic Road in Castaic.
The contact number for the complex is (661) 775-8865 or, to reach the pool, (661) 294-6467.
The hours of operation are listed as sunset to sunrise.
Los Angeles County’s Department of Parks and Recreation has dozens of amenities and programs Santa Clarita Valley residents can enjoy listed on the park’s website parks.lacounty.gov/castaic-regional-sports-complex
The Castaic Sports Complex is located at 31230 Castaic Road in Castaic. The Santa Clarita Skatepark is located at 20840 Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita.
