The city of Huntsville cut the ribbons Wednesday to open two recreational parks adjacent to each other in John Hunt Park but with decidedly different objectives.

One is concrete and encourages challenging gravity. The other is welcoming to children of all ages and abilities without the need to necessarily leave the ground.

Get-A-Way Skatepark and Kids Space Playground are now open to the public – the skatepark is a new feature to the park while Kids Space is launching a second life after being rebuilt. The two are located off Airport Road near the south end of John Hunt Park.

“These public projects have exceeded all our expectations,” Mayor Tommy Battle said in the city’s announcement. “While they may dramatically differ in function, both were conceived, created and financially made possible by passionate people who believed in them and worked for them. Through these public-private partnerships, generations of young people will have world-class spaces to play.”

Together, they represent an investment of about $8.6 million, the city said. Not all the money, however, was an allocation of tax dollars.

Paul Gierow of Huntsville came forward this week as a previously unidentified benefactor of the skate park who donated $1 million to the project. The founder of GATR Technologies in Huntsville — which sold in 2016 for $232.5 million — Gierow was known as one of the best skateboarders in the state in the 1980s and often honed his skills at The Get-A-Way, a long-gone skate park that was located on nearby Leeman Ferry Road.

“I’m pleased that the community and City came together to build a world-class skatepark that everyone can enjoy,” Gierow said in the city’s announcement of the parks’ openings.

The city said the skatepark pays tribute to the original design while delivering modern features that are exciting to both street and Olympic-style skateboarders. Some of those features include a clover bowl, a snake run with depths ranging from three to 10 feet, a ¾ pipe, and a large street plaza.

The new Kids Space is built on the site of the original that volunteers erected 28 years ago.

“The new Kids Space is designed for children of all ages and abilities to enjoy,” Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett said in the city announcement. “The open layout and special surfacing allow easy movement from one area to another, the equipment is inclusive and fun, and the fencing adds an additional layer of safety.”