Black-owned skatepark opens in west Charlotte
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The skate park was developed with skateboard event company BOARDR. Photo: Courtesy of The Whitaker Group
A new development in west Charlotte includes a skatepark and retail shops.
Why it matters: There's a lack of public park space designed for skaters in Charlotte, and in recent years the local skateboarding community has brought this issue to light.
Driving the news: APB Skatepark opened on June 21 at The Collective on Tuckaseegee, a 13,000-square-foot property that'll eventually house ten retail shops.
What they're saying: "We are expanding our reach to the skateboarding community to provide a safe space for the local youth to express themselves and also discover the virtues of the sport and its amazing culture," founder of The Whitaker Group James Whitner said in a statement.
Context: The Whitaker Group, which owns The Collective on Tuckaseegee, is the retail and creative company behind boutique brands like Social Status in Plaza Midwood and Atlanta-based A Ma Maniere.
- One of the team's other brands, APB, will also open at The Collective, with clothes inspired by the skate community.
- The group says APB Skatepark is the first "privately owned, Black-owned, publicly accessible, non-DIY" skatepark.
"Black culture has always been a driving force in shaping global trends," Whitner said.
Zoom in: There are only a handful of places to skateboard, including Renaissance Skate Park in southwest Charlotte and Grayson Skate Park in southeast Charlotte. There are even fewer places to roller skate.
- Nonprofit Charlotte Skate Foundation is currently building a skatepark in Kilborne Park in east Charlotte to replace the DIY skate park that thrived on the vacant Eastland Mall site for years. The city granted the group $15,000 for the project.
What's next: APB Skatepark is now open and will host a block party on June 28 and 29.
- It'll regularly offer events like after-school lessons and trick tutorials, similar to its beSocial program at Social Status.
- The retail portion of The Collective will open later this summer.
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