Riley Skate Park ready to roll in Farmington Hills

Skateboarding will reach new heights when the Riley Skate Park opens in Farmington Hills on June 29, hopefully. “The weather slowed us down with the grading and landscaping,” says Bryan Farmer, recreation supervisor for Farmington Hills. The $850,000 skate park has rolled down a long, winding path to get where it is today. Ground broke late in 2007 and work has gone through a fit-and-start or two since then. But it’s practically all done now, and the Oakland County suburb has something special to show for it.Going beyond the typical concrete hills, ramps and rails that dominate the stereotypical skate park in the Midwest, it has an 8-foot tall cylinder that looks like a sewer pipe built into the ground instead of above it and a variety of in-ground features resembling concrete pits and ditches. The idea is to give the park a “West Coast” feel that most local skaters have yet to experience in Metro Detroit.The 29,000-square-foot venue is the newest attraction at Founders Sports Park at 35500 Eight Mile Road between Gill and Halstead roads, near the Farmington Hills Ice Arena. About 200 skaters a day are expected.The skate park is named after George Riley of the Riley Foundation, who gave $500,000 toward the project. Organizers are still working to raise more money to add extra features, such as Web cameras and lights.For information on the project, contact Bryan Farmer at (248) 473-1805 or BFarmer@fhgov.com.Source: Bryan Farmer, recreation supervisor for Farmington HillsWriter: Jon Zemke