Bachman Lake Skate Park Will Be Dope For Dallas Skaters

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Bachman Lake Skate Park brought back former Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano to the celebration, which would not have happened without the bond money he helped allocate to ensure the construction of the skate park.

The Bachman Lake Skate Park is located in District 6, which is represented by Councilmember Omar Narvaez.

“They (Narvaez and Medrano) don’t see council lines. They wanted to make sure that Bachman Lake was a showcase. That spirit carried on with their park board members.”

City of dallas parks director John Jenkins

“The park system is not divided by 15,” Johnson said. “Dallas neighborhoods are not divided.”

Bachman Lake Skate Park Long Time Coming

“The end of the 2017 Bond is here,” said Narvaez. “Bachman Lake is finally getting its due. Parks are the cultural centers, the heart  of any city.”

It is only right that Dallas’ first skate park be at Bachman Lake. Back in the 1980s, Bachman Lake was known as one of the best locations for skating thanks to the Clown Ramp. 

According to the Friends of Bachman Lake website, “Skating was free and the ramp was lit at night like a pinball machine so there was always someone riding it or just hanging out enjoying the scene.”

The Blue Ramp was eventually brought over and the two structures made Bachman Lake a haven for skaters. As the popularity of skateboarding waned, the ramps were eventually dismantled and the draw to Bachman Lake was almost relegated to the history books as well.

Narvaez said revitalizing Bachman Lake was a top priority when he was elected to office. 

“I was going to start getting our fair share in District 6. It’s called equity,” Narvaez said. “That is when I started looking at Bachman Lake. The recreation center was sad. Bachman Lake was sad. This park hadn’t received any love since the 1950s and this was 2017.”

It was when he was deciding where to spend the 2017 District 6 bond money and realized he did not have enough for the development of the skate park that he called Medrano and asked for help. Medrano agreed to share money from District 2’s bond money in order for the park to be built. 

The Future Looks Dope For Dallas Skaters

The new skate park, which will be located in the northwest corner of Bachman Lake Park and bordered by Webb Chapel Extension and Denton Drive, will be 46,000 square feet and will feature numerous areas for skaters of all levels. 

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said care was taken to preserve the natural beauty of the area.

“This will be a state-of-the-art, in-ground skate park,” Johnson said. We made sure to conserve green space and trees so the heat cone” would not be impacted.

“I skateboarded a lot as a kid,” the mayor said. “Bachman Lake was a prime location. This was the number one choice of my grandparents to bring us to Bachman Lake.”

The park will be accessible to all skaters in the city because the Bachman DART station is across the street. 

The $4 million skatepark is designed by Team Pain Skate Parks. They have created more than 200 skateparks nationwide. The park is expected to open in December 2024.

The park will have a street area, a plaza, a bowl, a flow bowl, and a snake run. There will also be seating for more than 100 people with shade structures and tables, as well as water fountains with bottle fillers, restrooms, and bike racks.