Nonprofit seeks new community skate park

Published 10:30 am Tuesday, December 2, 2025

When residents and visitors enter Homer proper, one of the first things they see is the longstanding skate park with its multicolored ramps and obstacles in front of the HERC complex at the corner of the Sterling Highway and Pioneer Avenue. The park has seen a number of updates and renovations over the years since its installation. Now, local groups are looking to establish a new, modern park not just for skateboarders, but for the entire community.

The Homer Skatepark Project is a collaborative effort between the Friends of the Homer Skatepark and the Kachemak Bay Recreation Service Area, a recently-formed nonprofit organization spearheaded by Old Sterling Outfitters owners Dakotah Larson and Kait Skundrich. According to Kevin Lahaie, another skate park project leader who spoke to Homer News last month, KBayRSA was formed to help fund not only the proposed skate park, but to build and sustain other local recreation efforts and activities, and the Homer Skatepark Project “falls under their umbrella.”

The existing park contains “aging infrastructure,” Lahaie said in a Nov. 14 interview.

“The park has been there for over 20 years, and the metal ramps over time have just been weathered and are no longer functioning to their full potential,” he said.

The Homer Skatepark Project envisions constructing a new, long-lasting concrete skate park to create “a space where all ages can connect, challenge themselves and thrive outdoors.” An informational zine provided by Lahaie adds that the project intends to create a “sustainable ‘third space’ that will serve generations to come.”

“A modern skatepark gives people of all ages a safe, active space to move, connect and grow. It’s more than ramps — it’s a community hub built around creativity and healthy fun. Durable and low-maintenance, skateparks offer unmatched value and year-round use — more hours of recreation than any other facility,” the zine reads.

As part of a multi-phase project, KBayRSA is currently working to raise $250,000 for the first phase of construction through grants, fundraising and community support. Recently, the Gary Thomas 100 Men Project selected the Homer Skatepark Project as the recipient for Fall 2025 support. According to Lahaie, the project is also “on the agenda” for the next meeting of 100+ Women Who Care Homer.

Lahaie also previously gave presentations to the City of Homer on the proposed skate park at the Parks, Art, Recreation and Culture Advisory Commission’s Aug. 21 meeting and the Homer City Council Oct. 27 meeting.

The existing skate park lies on city-owned property. According to Lahaie, the new park would ideally be built on the same property, adjacent to the current park, and project leaders have identified a couple of potential locations for construction.

“We’re working with the city … we’re not sure if (the new park) is going to remain there or not,” he said. “We’ve talked about the grass field (on the HERC property), and then recently mentioned that the back side of it, where the basketball courts are, is also an option if the grass field is a little too close to the buildings.

“This feels like the right space for it to go, just because it is so town-center and super visible.”

During the Oct. 27 council meeting, Lahaie also said that the grass field has about 25,000 square feet of space that would also leave room for future development of the park after the first phase.

“It’s a central location to many of the schools and centers in town … and we think it’s time that space gets a facelift,” he told the council. “A new skate park-slash-park would pump beauty and life back into that area of Homer.”

Some discussion was also held during the council meeting of building the new park alongside the proposed new community recreation center.

Multiple council members expressed support for the project and urged Lahaie to “keep the council apprised and in dialogue about ideas.”

While project leaders’ main focus right now is fundraising, and construction won’t occur for some time, the Homer Skatepark Project does have a few ideas outlined for future development, including building the new park out of concrete — making it the only concrete park on the Kenai Peninsula. Lahaie said that other areas, like Seward, have established small skate parks similar to what Homer has now. But, south of Anchorage, there are no existing parks like the group is envisioning — which means that the proposed park could potentially bring “a new form of tourism” to Homer in the future.

Project leaders have selected Grindline Skateparks, Inc., a Seattle-based company with more than 20 years of experience constructing concrete skate parks all over the U.S., including in Alaska, as the contractor for the proposed park in Homer. Grindline recently finished construction of Taku Lake Skate Park in Anchorage and are now slated to build a park in Talkeetna.

“(Grindline) is an all-in-one package — they help curate, design, dig and construct,” Lahaie said.

While phase one of the park’s construction would include building a section of the park so that it’s ready for use, future phases may include measures such as constructing a pavilion roof and installing lights over the park — modelling Turnaround Skate Park in Sitka — to facilitate year-round use of the park no matter the weather conditions.

“We want to really make it a park, too — we want to have fire pits and grills and things like that, so parents can go hang out at the park while their kid goes and does their thing,” Lahaie said.

Follow the Homer Skatepark Project on Facebook, or find the skate park fundraiser or more information about KBayRSA memberships through Zeffy, a fundraising platform geared toward nonprofits.