Just to quick let you know the status of the skateplaza:
2009 is the year we hope to get started with phase 1 of the plaza which includes 80% of the street skating obstacles.  We have about 1/2 the funds to finish phase 1 and the idea is, we hope more donations and advertising dollars will come in once ground is broken and people see that this is a legitimate plan.
Our team of skaters, the architects and engineers involved with the design process are about 90% finished with te complete plans- I’m talking about more than sketches of “what-would-be-cool-skate.”  I’m talking about blueprints that take into consideration expansion lines, drainage, above and underground plans and more details than I can explain.  The plans will then go to bid to determine which building group will get to construct the plaza.
Starting public fund raising will be something everyone will be able to help with.  The more money the better.  We all know the economy is hurting right now but it will still be important for us to find corporate, local business and community partners to help fund this plaza.  The City has been a huge help finding grants and donating the generous portion of city land to this project.  The rest will be up to us- especially the skateboard and action sports community to make sure people look at this project as a need- and not as giving a group of hoodlums a place to gather.

Which brings me to the last point I have.  I’m not here to be a preacher of how you should act but the simple fact of the matter is- if you’re our riding and you’re giving people a hard time when they kick you out, you leave trash laying around a spot, you write “skater’s rule” on walls or any number of childish acts other than riding- you’re hurting your chances of getting this plaza.  People will think: “Why should we donate land and money to these kids who have no respect for the community?”  Just something to think about.

I’ve seen spots come and go in the 610.  I’ve traveled the world to skate.  I watch the same videos and read the same magazine’s as you and I know that if we can get this park built- the 610 will be a destination spot for skaters all over the east coast to come skate this plaza.  We will have spots from LA, NYC, SF, London, Barcelona, Japan and France at our doorsteps.  If you don’t know how this plaza was planned- we’ve tried to replicate and re-create famous spots from skateboarding history (which will be made for bmxer’s to use too) in a way where they’re all in one flowing plaza.  Everything will be covered in angle iron so the trucks and pegs we use won’t destroy the park in a year or two.  We’ve tried to think of everything to make this an amazing place for us to ride.

It’s closer than it seems.  Don’t give up hope.  I’m not promising that it will be done this year but if we all work together there’s a very good chance it can be.  Do you know someone who might be interested in donating, a company that might want to take advertising out in a project like this, a construction company that can donate time or materials, a school that would do a class fundraiser for this?  Let us know.  Contact the City of Bethlehem Parks Dept or ask us a question at: homebase610@gmail.com

* The entry fee to get into “Where the heart is,” Homebase’s 5th shop video premier on Saturday January 31st will go donated to the Bethlehem Skateplaza Project