Shanoy Irvin’s family has lived down the road from Blues Park in Kansas City’s Washington Wheatley neighborhood for generations.
The park had basketball courts and some playground equipment. It was handy for holiday celebrations. But it didn’t have anything really special.
“The kids (would) go down there to play basketball (or) to the little playground that was down there,” she said. “There wasn’t anything else to use that space for outside of maybe kickball or football practice.”
So when the city offered to build a roller rink in the park — the city’s Parks and Recreation Department broke ground on it Thursday — she was glad that an attraction was coming nearby. Instead of having to drive miles for a place that people could skate, other people would come to her neighborhood.
But some of her neighbors pushed back on the $1.7 million project because of potential traffic problems.
“They’re also worried about what could potentially happen with the noise from the gathering down there and late-night activity,” she said.
Irvin said the rink, expected to open in August, may spark more healthy activity in the neighborhood.
“We need to build up our area, to make it vital to make people want to come back here,” Irvin said. “Why should we have to leave from our own neighborhood to go to the outskirts, to go to the suburbs, to go to other areas to have nice things?”
Another resident, Jessie Mathews, is a roller skater eager for what the rink means for him and for the neighborhood.
“If you want to rollerskate, you have to go to Holmes Park (or) find a tennis court that isn’t cracked or a basketball court that isn’t cracked,” he said. “It’s tough to find those places to go.”
The outdoor rink is a part of Kansas City's “Revive The Vine” plan to spend more tax dollars around the 18th and Vine District. That includes $400 million for infrastructure.
The 16,000-square-foot Blues Park Skating Rink is under construction along with a parking lot of about 18 spaces, public bathrooms and stands for spectators.
Kansas City’s other public skating rink is in Holmes Park. Council member Melissa Patterson Hazley pushed to build the new rink.
“This is a great location to have this type of amenity,” she said. “This will be a great opportunity for families from around the city and in the neighborhood.”
Council member Melissa Robinson said the project marks a step toward providing children in Kansas City with free activities near their homes.
“Young people often say, ‘Where are there places for us to go. Where are there things for us to do?’” she said. “This provides opportunity for young people and for families to do things in our community.”
