ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- City and community leaders in St. Petersburg have a whole lot to brag about this weekend.
- Brand new skate park opens in St. Pete
- Park has been in the works since 2015
- It's one of the largest skate parks in Florida
They just cut the ribbon on a brand new skate park that features a 12-foot-deep bowl.
It's the deepest skate park bowl in the state of Florida.
The park has features for all levels, including a street course, a snake run, and intermediate bowl.
The $1.25 million park has been in the works since 2015. Jay Turner and members of the St. Pete Skate Park Alliance came up with the idea and have been working with city leaders to create one of the largest skate parks in Florida.
Besides a place to ride, Turner hopes to mentor and introduce kids to a new sport.
"The St. Pete Skatepark Alliance is going to help with any sort of community effort to push skateboarding and BMX safely, get kids involved, educate them on the skate park," Turner said.
Part of that education is keeping the park clean and safe. Mayor Rick Kriseman and City Officials said they think the new park will cut down on crime in Campbell Park, a neighborhood that houses many families in need.
"Traditionally kids in this neighborhood aren't skateboarders, they haven't had a park in their neighborhood and there's an economic barrier to skateboarding, a skateboard," said Michelle Box.
Box is the Executive Director for the non-profit "Boards for Bros", which collects and gives out gently used skateboards. She said they've given out nearly 200 boards to kids in the area around the new park.
"It's life changing. If they're skateboarding, they're busy, they're healthy, they're not on their phones, they're learning something new, perseverance, and making new friends," Box said.
City leaders also believe the park will bring an economic boost. They hope to host amateur and professional competitions that could bring in visitors from all over.
The park is located at 600 12th St. South in St. Petersburg.