By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
City council approved officially naming the city’s new skate park near the San Felipe Creek the
Del Rio Skate Garden.
During the May 13 regular meeting, the council had an agenda topic about the skate park,
located at 708 W. De La Rosa St. in an area of the creek known as the Severiano Perez
Parkway. The agenda topic was to approve the name change of the park to the “Del Rio Skate
Garden.” The new skate park was unveiled in November 2024.
The park was designed by Skate Ecosystems, LLC, of Austin, Texas, a firm that designs, plans
and builds skate parks. The park was designed by Shane Yee, chief design officer of Skate
Ecosystems, who held workshops during the summer of 2024 for local skaters’ input on the
design of the park.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman J.P. Sanchez made the motion to approve the park’s
official designation, and Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez gave the second.
During the regular council meeting on April 22, Scot Carcasi, the city’s operations and
compliance manager, was in attendance to answer questions the council may have about the
park’s name. Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. asked Carcasi to clarify if the name change was for
the entire Severiano Perez Parkway area or only that part containing the skate park. Carcasi
confirmed the name change was for the skate park only and not the entire parkway area.
“It would still be Severiano Parkway Park. Just the actual skate area will be called the Skate
Garden, and the designer (Yee) was requesting the name change because it is listed currently
as a skate park, and the whole design was for it to be a skate garden, and it would be the first in
the state,” Carcasi said.
A nomination form and letter were submitted to the council by Yee and presented at the April 22
meeting requesting the name change and to explain the importance of the park’s design.
“I am writing to formally request the renaming of the Severiano Perez Parkway Del Rio
Skatepark to its original and intended name, the Del Rio Skate Garden.
“This name change is not only a reflection of the community’s wishes but also an
acknowledgment of the park’s significance in setting a new standard for skatepark design – one
that garnered attention both nationally and internationally. It marks a historic moment in how
public spaces can combine beauty, sustainability and recreation,” Yee wrote.
In the form, Yee mentioned the benefits the name change will have on the community, which
include: strengthening civic pride, promoting environmental responsibility, creating a vibrant
community space, attracting visitors and boosting the local economy.
“In conclusion, renaming Severiano Perez Parkway Del Rio Skatepark to Del Rio Skate Garden
is not just about honoring the park’s design – it is about recognizing the city’s commitment to
creating beautiful, sustainable and community-oriented public spaces. The name Del Rio Skate Garden accurately reflects the park’s role in Del Rio’s future as a leader in innovative urban
design, while also fostering civic pride and environmental stewardship,” Yee wrote.
See more stories about the Skate Garden here.
