Skate Park Dream at Last Given Legs to Stand On

After almost a decade of perseverance, founders and members of Tosa Skateboarders United streamed to City Hall on Tuesday night to see their vision of a skate park in Wauwatosa come much nearer to reality.

Peter Sternkopf was in middle school when TSU began its quest for a venue for skateboarding and BMX biking at Hart Park in 2004. Now, he's a student at Milwaukee School of Engineering, and a little too busy for much boarding.

But he came. So did his mom, Kathy Barry, also a former board member. So did his dad, Richard Sternkopf, who's more comfortable on a road bike or a pair of hockey skates himself, but gets it that kids want to roll with their own set of wheels.

Dozens who have grown up with the dream packed Committee Room 1, rare standing room crowd for city business as aldermen pondered whether Wauwatosa should finally put some funding support behind the proposed park.

They did so decide, voting unanimously to set aside $80,000 toward construction costs and another $15,000 over the next five years in maintenance costs.

The impetus to do so was a dual decision by Mike and Judy Doyle. Judy had founded a parallel skater club at Longfellow Middle School.

On the one hand, the Doyles were persuaded, and in turn persuaded the group, that it was time to downsize the dream a bit. Instead of a pro-circuit 15,000 square-foot park costing $600,000, they could start with a park of about 6,000 square feet at less than half the cost, $240,000.

And then the Doyles offered a pledge of $80,000 of their own money to make it happen, if the city and other private donors could make up the rest.

With the city's promise of its $80,000 match – that still has to pass the full Common Council, and almost certainly will – and $33,000 collected by TSU, only $47,000 remains to be raised.

Donations can be made to complete funding for the Hart Park Skateboard Park at the TSU website.