Reid Small, owner of The Void Skate Shop, introduced me to the Kingshighway Skatepark last year and it has been on my mind ever since. Why? What does a 30,000 square foot DIY Skatepark in St. Louis have to do with sustainability and industry? Consider how the skatepark came to be.
Located under a viaduct in an easily overlooked residual space created by our modern transportation infrastructure, it has been used as an illegal dump and a really great place to burn mattresses. Discovered while scouting for skate spots, a group of skaters set about the work of cleaning up the space and transforming it into an amenity. Work included graffiti removal using recycled paint from Habitat for Humanity and a maintenance/construction/housekeeping program requiring participation in exchange for the privilege of skating. City inspectors discovered the work, and with no complaints from area businesses, the allowed the skatepark to stay. They even provided a dumpster to support the effort.
With the viaduct and skatepark scheduled for demolition in 2012, the skaters have gone on to form a 501c3 and are currently working with the city on future projects.
The lessons here for sustainable site selection is clear: Be resourceful. Look for the potential of brownfields and of previously developed sites in metropolitan boundaries. Instead of writing off a site due to perceived constraints, reconsider these constraints as opportunities and advantages for a project. Develop a means to integrate the community of stakeholders, local government, non-profit organizations, and private enterprise . Go beyond just mitigating the effects and make it a project goal to improve environment by means of the construction or new building. Interested in seeing a complete photographic tour of the park? You will find them here.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sustainability – Industrial Strength
Sustainable Design, Construction, and Operation for Industrial Facilities
Anarchist Skate Punks Occupy St. Louis via Guerilla Urbanism
Posted on May 10, 2012
Reid Small, owner of The Void Skate Shop, introduced me to the Kingshighway Skatepark last year and it has been on my mind ever since. Why? What does a 30,000 square foot DIY Skatepark in St. Louis have to do with sustainability and industry? Consider how the skatepark came to be.
Located under a viaduct in an easily overlooked residual space created by our modern transportation infrastructure, it has been used as an illegal dump and a really great place to burn mattresses. Discovered while scouting for skate spots, a group of skaters set about the work of cleaning up the space and transforming it into an amenity. Work included graffiti removal using recycled paint from Habitat for Humanity and a maintenance/construction/housekeeping program requiring participation in exchange for the privilege of skating. City inspectors discovered the work, and with no complaints from area businesses, the allowed the skatepark to stay. They even provided a dumpster to support the effort.
With the viaduct and skatepark scheduled for demolition in 2012, the skaters have gone on to form a 501c3 and are currently working with the city on future projects.
The lessons here for sustainable site selection is clear: Be resourceful. Look for the potential of brownfields and of previously developed sites in metropolitan boundaries. Instead of writing off a site due to perceived constraints, reconsider these constraints as opportunities and advantages for a project. Develop a means to integrate the community of stakeholders, local government, non-profit organizations, and private enterprise . Go beyond just mitigating the effects and make it a project goal to improve environment by means of the construction or new building. Interested in seeing a complete photographic tour of the park? You will find them here.
Reid Small, owner of The Void Skate Shop, introduced me to the Kingshighway Skatepark last year and it has been on my mind ever since. Why? What does a 30,000 square foot DIY Skatepark in St. Louis have to do with sustainability and industry? Consider how the skatepark came to be.
Located under a viaduct in an easily overlooked residual space created by our modern transportation infrastructure, it has been used as an illegal dump and a really great place to burn mattresses. Discovered while scouting for skate spots, a group of skaters set about the work of cleaning up the space and transforming it into an amenity. Work included graffiti removal using recycled paint from Habitat for Humanity and a maintenance/construction/housekeeping program requiring participation in exchange for the privilege of skating. City inspectors discovered the work, and with no complaints from area businesses, the allowed the skatepark to stay. They even provided a dumpster to support the effort.
With the viaduct and skatepark scheduled for demolition in 2012, the skaters have gone on to form a 501c3 and are currently working with the city on future projects.
The lessons here for sustainable site selection is clear: Be resourceful. Look for the potential of brownfields and of previously developed sites in metropolitan boundaries. Instead of writing off a site due to perceived constraints, reconsider these constraints as opportunities and advantages for a project. Develop a means to integrate the community of stakeholders, local government, non-profit organizations, and private enterprise . Go beyond just mitigating the effects and make it a project goal to improve environment by means of the construction or new building. Interested in seeing a complete photographic tour of the park? You will find them here.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
***RIP IN PEACE***
As you may have heard we lost a member of our family.
Rob Dixon
Rob's wake is tonight from 4-8pm at
Rob's wake is tonight from 4-8pm at
Bopp Chapel 10610 Manchester Road Kirkwood, MO 63122
After the wake we will be turning on the lights at the bridge for one last session with Rob before he is laid to rest. Feel free to come out and get some front side grinds for our brother...
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
***WARNING*** Falling Rock!!!!
Due to the extreme temperature changes recently the freeze/thaw is in effect at the Bridge and the Ceiling is once again falling. Be careful if you go there and avoid parking in the lot under there if you value your car.
It would be safer to just not go there for awhile until the weather gets better.
Why may concrete deteriorate from freeze thaw actions?
Deterioration of concrete from freeze thaw actions may occur when the concrete is critically saturated, which is when approximately 91% of its pores are filled with water. When water freezes to ice it occupies 9% more volume than that of water. If there is no space for this volume expansion in a porous, water containing material like concrete, freezing may cause distress in the concrete. Distress to critically saturated concrete from freezing and thawing will commence with the first freeze-thaw cycle and will continue throughout successive winter seasons resulting in repeated loss of concrete surface.
New BOOB at Kings...
Big thanks out to Simon!! His motivation got this done!!!
Also Major shouts out to the Show Me Pools crew and everyone who helped out including all who attended the No Coast fundraiser!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Pump Bump Progress!!! HELP WANTED!!!
The new pump bump in the bowl is almost ready to pour!!! Thanks to everyone who came out to No Coast for the fundraiser to build this thing! So far looks like it will come super mellow down the center pillar and across the floor to the middle and T off with a twinkie on the end. Still plenty of room for you figure eighter's over the D box and the door is still open for all you vertwall pushers as well.
Tomorrow, Thursday January 19th 2012, we will be at the bridge from around 8am until putting the rebar and finishing touches down to get ready for the pour on
Friday, January 20th 2012.
For details about exact times for the pour on Friday check our Facebook page here after tomorrow around noon when the Crete delivery is finalized.
Depending on the weather it should be ready to roll by MONDAY!!!
PLEASE COME OUT AND HELP EITHER DAY!!!
All HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
KHVT STL Skatepark update...
Some of you may have heard about KHVT's move to purchase an LRA property on Morganford. After attending and presenting to several of the area's Neighborhood Associations, meeting with Alderman Howard several times, and meeting with the STL Parks Directors over the last 6 months we were able to get approval and recommendations from all that we met with including the Director of the Street Dept.
We then approached the LRA about the property that the neighborhood suggested would be a good fit for a skatepark. It turned out that the land had recently been an old gas station and the city paid to have the gas tanks and everything removed so that it would pass all EPA standards. This cost the City a lot of money. We low balled the offer we made to them as per the advise of our co-conspirators and the local officials. The LRA did not budge... They would like around $38,000. We were hoping to Spend around $50,000 on the whole project! After donated material and volunteer labor we would still be cutting it close.
So its back to the drawing board for a bit on the Morganford park but now Alderman Howard has vowed that "this will happen" in her ward so that's good. She is currently looking into some other options as far as a possible lease situation.
We have also been pursuing other areas of the city as well and are currently working on a deal through Wash. U in the Grove neighborhood. Several properties have been identified for possible donation to KHVT. They are very excited about the possibility of adding a skatepark to there neighborhood and would like to be the First in the city!
With all this going on we still need help at our Kingshighway park. We still need to pick up trash and paint over the graffiti. We will be working on the pump bump this Sunday and hopefully pouring it next week. For more info on upcoming build days email us at
kings.highway@yahoo.com
Midwest Waste!!! Get your copy today!!!
100% of the Profits go to STL LOCAL
Non-Profit Skateboard advocacy
Organization
KHVT!!!
Get your copy today at one of these great LOCAL retailers:
http://www.nocoastskateboards.com/
http://www.jollyrogerskateboards.com/
http://www.futuresk8.com/blog/
http://www.parksideskateboards.com/
Or hit the DONATE tab to the Right, donate $12 and we will get you a copy out in the mail!!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
R.I.P. BROTHER....
Friday, November 25, 2011
MIDWEST WASTE and HERMSHOLE WASN'T BUILT IN 3.5 YEARS PREMIER!!!
Both Video's will Premier on Dec. 23 at No Coast Skateshop
@ 4260 Manchester Ave. St. Louis Mo 63110
More info check out NoCoastskateboards.com
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