The Durham skate community scored another big win on Thursday as the city announced the latest winning projects for its Participatory Budgeting (PB) program.
Six projects were awarded $2.7 million in total through the fourth participatory budgeting cycle. The Durham Skate Park got the biggest piece of the pie, receiving $1.2 million in funds to renovate the 16-year-old facility.
During this cycle, the PB team collected 964 ideas submitted by residents, a 52% increase from the previous cycle. Transportation improvements, public safety, and park improvements were the top categories submitted. Each cycle, the deluge of projects are vetted by volunteers who look at cost, feasibility, and whether the ideas are already being implemented through other city initiatives. After the pool is whittled down, any resident over the age of 13 is eligible to vote on a final list.
Skate projects have been submitted for every round of participatory budgeting, which launched in 2018. Even though this is the first year that a skate project has made it through to the final voting round, they are popular submissions during the PB process, said Carmen Ortiz, senior community development manager for the City of Durham who spearheads the Participatory Budgeting program, during Thursday’s city council work session.
After years of wear and tear from repeated ollies, kickflips, nosegrinds, and pop shove its, the downtown skate park has started eroding. Tyler Kober, owner of Bullseye Bicycle and one of the old heads often spotted skating at the park, said he and a few other skaters use putty to patch the holes and gaps whenever possible, but more substantial repairs are sorely needed.
“Everyone still loves skating here, but it’s becoming more unsafe,” Kober said.
Durham Skate Park was one of the first attractions to the Central Park area, years before the surrounding apartment boom and additional features like the playground. The park attracts a diverse mosaic of skaters across age, race, and economic status.
Manifest Skate Shop has hosted numerous events at the skate park over the years, drawing skaters from across North Carolina to downtown Durham. Mike Johnston, owner of Manifest, said that he’s “thrilled” the park is finally getting a refresh. The parks’ degradation over time has made skating more challenging, and neighboring municipalities like Chapel Hill, which renovated and reopened its skate park in 2025, are now drawing skaters away from Durham.
Last year, the skate community received a gift from the City of Durham when the Parks & Recreation department allowed Manifest and the Scrap Exchange to take ownership of old skate park equipment from outside the former Wheels skate park and move it to the Lakewood Shopping Center. The future DIY skate park in Lakewood will give skaters another place to work out the kinks on that new trick.Volunteers are still working to erect the new park, which will be even more valuable during renovations of the downtown skate park.
Johnston, who serves on the Recreation Advisory Council, pointed out the connection between the skate park renovation and other topics before the city council agenda that day: crime statistics and solutions to gun violence.
“I’m a huge proponent of skateboarding, and the skate park gives kids a positive thing to do,” he told the INDY.
Johnston and Kober agree that one of the hallmarks of the Durham community is the balance between inclusivity and intolerance towards bad behavior. The OG skaters set the tone, and younger participants, who look to their elders as role models, follow their lead.
“Skateboarding is a very self-regulated community,” Johnston said. “I think skaters care about skateboarding so much, when they’re out at the skate park, things that would be considered bad behavior aren’t tolerated. Durham in particular is a really good example of a community that is welcoming and at the same time tight knit. The city needs more of this.”
After the skate park renovation, a new playground at Bethesda Park was awarded the second highest amount, $750,000.
The project that won the most votes was a public restroom downtown ($350,000). This will provide “ a dignified option for residents, visitors, and unhoused individuals, while reducing strain on local businesses,” according to Ortiz’s presentation to the council.
Other projects funded include murals honoring the culture, history and identity in eight to-be-determined neighborhoods ($150,000); security cameras and lighting in Oxford Manor ($150,000); and public device charging stations in four areas with high foot traffic and transit stops.
Over 16,000 participants voted in the current cycle. Detainees inside the Durham County jail had an opportunity to contribute ideas and work on proposal development, too. The PB team collected 114 ideas from the detainees, and 133 participated in voting. In addition, 10 participants joined the PB team for a 12-week proposal development process, receiving training on equity and inclusion as well as local civics. Welcome Home, Durham, a re-entry program for formerly incarcerated individuals, also gave a presentation and provided resources for the participants.
“It was very impactful for the residents at the jail,” Ortiz said.
Next, city staff will plan out the specifics of each project and implement them.
Ortiz said the city tries to keep the completion window for PB projects within two years. Over the four cycles, residents have voted to invest in infrastructure projects, public art, and even COVID-19 relief assistance.
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