Rassekh Skatepark

Rassekh Park and Skatepark Project Update

In October 2021 the Lake Oswego City Council directed staff to add a new 10,000-square-foot skatepark as part of the larger 10-acre community park called Rassekh Park. In January 2022 the City hired California Skateparks to design and build the facility. Over the past year, the project team engaged the community to develop a design that reflected the desires of local skaters and that could be integrated seamlessly into the overall design for Rassekh Park.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2022, and in August, after several public hearings, the Rassekh Park and skatepark projects received joint land use approval. The City went out to bid for construction of Rassekh Park in the fall; however, the bid opening revealed that constructing the park would require significantly more funding than anticipated. On December 20, 2022 the City Council voted to postpone the Rassekh Park project until a funding strategy is developed.

Today, the Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation Department is regrouping and working on a solution to bring the skatepark project to fruition. Because Rassekh Park and the skatepark share critical site elements such as access, stormwater, and parking, the skatepark project is on hold until the overall park’s construction is funded. There are several considerations as Parks & Recreation reevaluates the project, including:

Working with City Council to source additional funds.
Developing a phased implementation plan, with the skatepark prioritized as the first phase of development.
Looking at alternative value engineering ideas for Rassekh Park.

Parks & Recreation is appreciative of all those who have been a part of the journey to realize this project thus far. The Department aims to identify additional funding and continue the project with budget considerations and a revised timeline.

What is this project about?

In October 2021, the Lake Oswego City Council directed the Parks and Recreation Department to develop a new 10,000-square-foot skatepark as part of Rassekh Park. This decision was based on community feedback received through the Rassekh Park public outreach process, as well as public testimony in support of the skatepark that was provided at related City Council meetings. The City is very excited to be partnering with California Skateparks to design and build this new facility for the Lake Oswego community.

Where will the skatepark be located?

The Rassekh property is a 9.8-acre property located on Stafford Road, just northwest of the roundabout at Stafford Rd/Rosemont Rd/Atherton Dr. The property was originally acquired by the City in 1996 as a result of the 1990 Parks Bond, with the intention of being developed as a park with opportunities for active recreation for the community. The skatepark will be located in the northeast corner of the Rassekh Park property (approximate area shown in white on the map below) and will be integrated with the park's network of trails and other park elements such as the sports field, picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking fountains, seating, and play area. Click here to learn more about the overall design for the Rassekh Park.

Rassekh Park plan_street labels.png

Where are we in the process?

The design process for the skatepark is now complete! Thank you to everyone who participated in the online survey and the community meetings on April 2, 2022 and May 5, 2022. In addition to the two community meetings, the design process was guided by a Skatepark Task Force with representatives from the local skating community, Palisades Neighborhood Association, the parks board, and other interested parties. The land use application for the skatepark was integrated with the application for the overall Rassekh Park development, and the joint application was approved in August 2022. The project went out to bid in the fall of 2022; however, the bids came in significantly higher than anticipated. The City is now in the process of identifying funding and developing a phased implementation plan for the construction of Rassekh Park.

Who can I reach out to with questions or comments?

If you have any questions or comments about the skatepark, please reach out to Kyra Haggart, Project Manager, at khaggart@ci.oswego.or.us or 503-697-6576.