The GND Recreation Club’s new skate park brings renewed excitement to Gary New Duluth

Community members gathered in Gary New Duluth to celebrate the opening of a new athletic attraction, the GND Rec Center’s new community skate park.

“We started the GND Rec Vision in 2013 and that included the community center, soccer fields, a dog park, community garden and a sport court; and the crown jewel that you’re seeing today, the skate park,” said GND Development Alliance President Mark Boben.

The project, eleven years in the making, was designed by Mark Leski, or “The Wizard,” created by a coalition of Duluth companies – proving to be a well-loved community effort.

“This project really started with community vision, and they worked so hard, whether it be getting funding from the city council or getting just support in general over the number of years,” said Duluth’s District 5 City Councilor Janet Kennedy.

Now that the skate park is open to the public, the excitement for its future will continue to grow.

“Having it done today, the most expensive amenity that we’ve built, is just fabulous. And you can look around, you can see the joy on the little guys on their bikes, on their scooters, the skateboarders that are here from Minneapolis that have come up just for the day to go skateboarding. If you can’t have a smile on your face today, something’s wrong,” said Boben.

“As you can see today, this is about the youth. The youth and the families. And while we can build communities, making sure we have what we need. So, we know that recreation is one of the biggest things that keep a community healthy, but kids healthy. And this has really brought everyone together to be a catalyst for building Western Duluth,” said Kennedy.

For more information on the GND Rec Center, go to GND REC | Gary-New Duluth, MN