New skate park in the works for Hoover’s Finley Center

Skate Park
A brand-new skate park is in the works for Hoover. Photo via Skate Alabama on Facebook

BIG news for skateboarders in Birmingham. A brand-new skate park is in the works, thanks to a collaboration between Skate Alabama and the City of Hoover. Keep reading to learn more + how you can support the project!

The State of Skateboarding in Birmingham

skateboarding
Skateboarding in downtown Birmingham. Photo via Matthew Niblett for Bham Now

If you’ve spent enough time in downtown Birmingham, you know that skateboarding, roller-skating and scooter-ing are all very popular pastime. However, you might be surprised to learn that there are no proper skate parks in the Birmingham metro.

Sure, there are the bowls at Railroad Park and the mini-ramp at Faith Skate, but nothing substantial. And while CityWalk will feature a state-of-the-art skate park under the I-59/20 bridge, it isn’t projected to be complete until mid-2022.

“You see more and more people skating in Birmingham every day. Lots of teenagers are picking up skateboarding and rollerskating, and it attracts people of all backgrounds.”

Johnny Grimes, Skate Alabama

A New Skate Park for Hoover

Skate Park
BMX biking in one of the bowls at Railroad Park. Photo via Skate Alabama on Facebook

A little over a year ago, Johnny Grimes of Skate Alabama reached out to the City Council of Hoover to gauge their interest in building a new skate park. After several meetings, presentations and proposals, they reached an agreement: the City of Hoover will donate a section of land at the Finley Center for the skate park, and Skate Alabama will handle fundraising for the project.

“We’re currently building a team of volunteers to handle fundraising for the skate park. Hoover has a fantastic community of skaters, and we’re so excited to support the community by creating a positive environment for them!”

Johnny Grimes, Skate Alabama

How You Can Support the Hoover Skate Park

Skate Alabama: 205.444.7777 | Website | Email | Facebook | Instagram

Want to help the Hoover Skate Park become a reality? The easiest way to help is by donating on Skate Alabama’s website. The best part? Your donations are 100% tax-deductible, and all donations go directly to funding the skate park—no administrative fees!

Another way to support the Hoover Skate Park is by volunteering. Skate Alabama is looking for help with fundraising, securing grants, hosting events, designing merchandise, running their website and more—there are so many ways to help! To get started, email skatealabamainc@gmail.com to learn more.

Finally, follow Skate Alabama on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest information about the skate park.

Excited to see the Hoover Skate Park become a reality? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know your thoughts!

Nathan Watson
Nathan Watson

Senior Content Producer + Photographer

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