ANOTHER SAFE SPOT FOR SKATERS

Hollenbeck Park's Safe Spot Skate Spot Dedication

Los Angeles - Kick flips, ollies and aerials, OH MY!!! Hundreds of skateboarders flooded Hollenbeck Park to break in the new Rob Dyrdek Safe Spot Skate Spot and to get a glimpse of the professional Skateboarder.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks in partnership with The Rob Dyrdek Skate Plaza Foundation and Councilmember Jose Huizar proudly dedicated the Hollenbeck Park Safe Spot Skate Spot on Thursday, December 17, 2009.

The 14,000-square-foot skate spot features rails, steps, ledges and benches. The landscaping design incorporates Hollenbeck Lake's signature park elements and the vast tree areas to create a skate plaza that is innovative, open, inviting and seamlessly integrated into the current park setting.

The Rob Dyrdek Safe Spot Skate Spot at Hollenbeck Park is a classic example of a successful public-private partnership with the City of Los Angeles. After Rob Dyrdek's Foundation provided $75,000 to design and assist in construction, Councilmember Huizar and the Department worked together to secure an additional $250,000 to complete the construction and landscaping improvements. The result has been a remarkable transformation of one of the City's least used "pre-fab" skate parks into what will surely be known as one of the country's premier skating plazas.

The collaboration between the Department of Recreation and Parks, The Rob Dyrdek Foundation and Councilmember Huizar to create a Safe Spot Skate Spot is the culmination of almost $1 million of improvements at Hollenbeck Park during 2009. Improvements included completely rebuilding the historic floating bridge, repairs to the lakeside path, an ADA accessible playground, additional landscaping and tree planting, doubling the amount of picnic tables and the installation of an outdoor fitness area.

Hollenbeck's Skate Plaza is the second Safe Spot and the 12th skate facility run by the Department. The new Safe Spot Skate Spot offers a picturesque view high on a hillside at the southeast corner of the park overlooking the lake. Hollenbeck Park is located at 415 South Saint Louis Street in East Los Angeles 90033. For more information on this location or the Department call (213) 202-2700 or visit our website at http://www.laparks.org/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jane Kolb: (213) 202-2694

Amy A. Garcia: (213) 202-2689