News / urban sport
New skate park to open in former department store
After months of speculation about an ‘urban sports facility’ occupying the ground floor of the former Debenhams building in the city centre, it has now been confirmed a skate park will open there this March.
Bristol-based non-profit Campus Skateboarding, with campuses in Bishopsworth and Winterbourne, are the business behind the new skate park.
They have partnered with Thrings, a national law firm with a base in Redcliffe, to obtain a new short-term lease for the space.
is needed now More than ever
They have a short-term lease as permission has been granted to eventually turn the former Debenhams site into a major new development featuring a 28-story tower.
Campus say the new skate park will be a “dynamic one-of-kind urban destination for visitors of all ages”
Campus co-director Tim Nokes said: “Breathing new life into this historic site that many Bristolians will know well is a very exciting prospect as we look to create an amazing new venue that caters to a wide range interests while fostering a sense of inclusivity and creativity.
“We are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to share the experience with everyone very soon!”
Robert Barnes, head of Thrings’ Bristol commercial property team, added: “Bristol is an amazingly diverse city with venues like this very much a cornerstone of that culture.
“We are delighted to have been able to support Tim and the Campus team in bringing this vision to fruition and look forward to seeing it become an immediate success when it opens.”
Tim Nokes, Campus co-director, said the skate park would breathe “new life” into the former Debenhams site
Although there are hopes the large ground floor space will one day host other sports like roller derby, for now it will solely be a skatepark.
Andre Seidel, the other co-director of Campus, said: “It’s a short-term project being led by a small not-for-profit organisation. We have to be careful how much we invest.
“At this stage we are hopeful we will make the space fit for the purpose of other users but its really a matter of budget so we will start with the skatepark and see where we go but it is certainly in our interest to broaden the appeal of the space.”
Alongside the skate park, the ground floor of the former Debenhams will also be the site of a new bar managed by the team behind The Dame in Bedminster.
James Woodard, director of the property consultancy who represent the owner of the Debenhams site, Hartnell Taylor Cook, said: “When we were asked to try and come up with a temporary use for a closed department store the options for standard retailers were limited, so we needed to think outside the box.
“The rise of leisure in city centres got us thinking about how we could use the big open space and we quickly landed on a skate park concept.
“We thought it might be a difficult sell, but Campus have such a strong reputation for their brilliant skate facilities, and the temporary parks that they set up at festivals, schools and other central locations that the idea quickly gained traction.
“They became the party we were most excited to approach and were delighted when it was a project we were able to push forward.
“Their mix of skate and other sports, along with supporting food and drink options will be truly unique for such a central location and a project with which we were proud to be involved.”
All photos: Aaron Sims
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