ST. GEORGE — Over three years ago a Washington City youth asked the City Council where skaters like himself were “supposed to skateboard?” At the time, the city lacked a skate park. Thanks to that young skater’s question, it started a process that led to the recent groundbreaking of what city officials are touting as a future regional skate and cycling park.

C.J. Nielson was 11 years old when he stood before the City Council in March 2020 and posed the question to city officials. On June 12, the now 15-year-old skater was among a large group of city officials, residents and others gathered in a field near the Southern Parkway where the large skate park is set to be built.

“Well, they definitely liked the idea (of a park), that’s for sure,” Nielson said standing next to Washington City Councilman Kurt Ivie. It was Ivie who prompted the youth to address the City Council three years ago and he has been heavily involved in bringing the “Wheels Park” to fruition.

The park, set to be built on 14 acres of land donated to the city by residents Doug Dennett and Carl Wright, is located near the future interchange of George Washington Parkway (formerly 2560 East) and the Southern Parkway.

“It will hands down be the best park for anything wheels-related anywhere in Utah of the Intermountain West,” Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli said at the groundbreaking. “This is a significant milestone for work that has been going on for years.”

The Wheels Park is slated to have a large skateboard area featuring spots for park and street plaza-based skating. BMX pump tracks and dirt tracks are also slated for cyclists, as well as a Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course with a 40-yard dash, a splash pad, a playground and a 12-foot tall, W-shaped climbing cube placed in the center of the park.

The overarching focus of the park is to be accessible to anyone, so traditional park facilities have been included in the design. Sections of the BMX and skate park are also designed for beginners and professional users.

The overall activity area of the proposed park is estimated at 190,000 square feet, with plans for expansion.

The park was designed by Aaron Spohn of California-based Spohn Ranch. Spohn has built skate parks for 30 years and has been skating since he was 12. He has built skate parks across the country, including several in northern Utah as well as the skate park portion of the Ivins City Unity Park.

“I’m proud to be here with this opportunity to work on this project,” Spohn said.

Elements of the incoming park are being designed with local input in mind, with local skaters like Keaton McDonald and friends, who got involved after learning about the park.

While at the groundbreaking, McDonald joked that he and his skating comrades had become something of an official steering committee for the Wheels Park and were happy to lend their ideas to it.

“As you get older you look at skate parks through the eyes of a taxpayer,” McDonald said, adding he’s been skating for 20 years. “That’s what made me feel a profound sense of responsibility to get in involved in this.”

Washington City is making a great investment in the skating community and he wanted to make sure the money used is going to the “highest possible utility,” McDonald noted.

There isn’t a final price tag attached to the Wheels Park project, Ivie said, but Washington City has bonded $10 million for the project and recently received a $1 million donation from the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office.

Once built, officials hope for the park to become a regional draw and also play host to various wheels-based competitions and qualifiers for events like the X-Games.

Wheels Park is also being designed to serve as an all-abilities park for anyone who wants to engage in wheels-based activities. Aiding this aspect of the park will be The Skatepark Project, formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation, Ivie said.

“We want something for everyone here,” he said.

Having helped guide the Wheels Park project from inception to the groundbreaking, Ivie stated it was “a big relief to get to that point,” and that “it’s really a special day.”

Ivie gave credit to the Washington City Council, city staff, residents and many others for catching the vision of the Wheels Park.

“This is a team effort,” he said. “I get a lot of attention for this park, but it wouldn’t have been possible without their support.”

The overall project design on the Washington City Wheel’s Park is complete with planners going over particular “bells and whistles,” Ivie said. The skate park is anticipated to be completed by late 2024.

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