These projects are part of the 2026 bond package that goes before voters April 28

As skateboarding continues to surge in popularity, Tacoma skaters are looking for more dedicated spaces to practice and build community gathering spaces.

Parks Tacoma operates five skateparks across the city, plus a handful of skate spots.

If voters approve the bond proposal that will be on the April 28 ballot, two new skateparks would be built downtown and in South Tacoma and the oldest skatepark – Heidelberg – would be renovated.

These projects come on the heels of the expansion of Stewart Heights Skatepark, which has drawn significantly more skaters to the area since reopening last year (paid for by the 2014 bond).

Stewart Heights was the first skate project undertaken by Parks Tacoma since 2012 and there are more on the way.

“Skateboarding is more than just a fun pastime – it’s an activity that encourages personal growth, resilience and social connections,” said Park Board President Matt Mauer.  “We’re dedicated to a continued collaboration with Tacoma’s skate community to ensure we’re creating safe, vibrant spaces for skaters of all ages and abilities.”

Parks Tacoma offers skateboarding camps through Alchemy Skate at Heidelberg, Stewart Heights and Norpoint and serves about 135 youth annually.

At a community meeting for the downtown skate plaza in Oct. 2025, members of the Tacoma skate community weighed in on what they prioritize in a skate park.

Here are the skatepark projects included in the 2026 bond proposal:

• Downtown skate plaza: This would be Tacoma’s first covered skatepark. Selected through a City of Tacoma Council District #2 participatory budgeting process, Parks Tacoma has taken a lead role on the project and plans to build a lighted skate plaza under Interstate 705 that will be integrated with several improvement projects within the Tacoma Dome District. This would be the first phase of development.
• Heidelberg Skatepark: Skaters began using this park in the 1990s, leading to the construction of a skatepark in 1996. The skate features are outdated and the pavement has deteriorated after 30 years, and both need to be replaced. The entire skatepark would be renovated.
• South End Recreation & Adventure Campus (SERA): This would be a new skatepark, which is called for in the park’s Master Plan. Parks Tacoma would work with community to determine details of the skatepark.