Some eight years in the making, Pensacola’s new $2.2 million skate park is set to open to the public Tuesday afternoon.

The Blake Doyle Skatepark will open immediately following a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 25,000-square-foot facility occupies a full city block under the Interstate 110 overpass, according to the City of Pensacola.

The park was the brainchild of avid skateboarder Jon Shell, who launched a Facebook page in 2015 called “Forgotten Youth” which supported the idea of a skate park in the Pensacola area, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

From there, Shell founded the Upward Intuition group to help raise money for the project. The park is named after a friend, Blake Doyle, who died in a train accident in 2015.

Construction began last August, with the contract awarded to Bear General Contractors. The skate park sits between Jackson and La Rua streets and is the first phase of the $25 million Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park.

The park features a multi-level skate plaza, two skate bowls, a beginner area and 5,700 square feet of sidewalks and what the city terms “gathering areas” around the facility.

According to the City, the skate park is the first step in the transformation of the area into a place “for community members of all ages to connect and enjoy activities in the heart of the city. The park will also serve to improve water quality and reduce stormwater in the area.”

The skate park will be open daily from dawn until dusk, with users encouraged to familiarize themselves with the following rules:

• Wear a helmet with securely fastened chinstrap, elbow pads, kneepads, wrist guards and closed toe shoes.
• Only skateboards and inline skates are allowed. No bicycles or motorized vehicles.
• Adult supervision required for minors.
• Use of the skatepark outside of posted hours is strictly prohibited (the skatepark will be open daily from dawn until dusk).

Click here to review all rules for the Blake Doyle Community Skatepark.