Skaters were rolling into Centennial Park for the official grand opening of the Rothermel Family Skate Facility on July 16.
Grant donation from the Rothermel Family for the skate park
The facility is named in honor of Jim Rothermel and his family for their assistance in getting the skate park built.
“So, we received a very generous donation from the Rothermel Family Fund of the DuPage Foundation. $120,000 that went towards this skate park. So working with our Park District Board of Commissioners, we named this particular facility the Rothermel Family Skate Facility in recognition of that generous donation,” said Brad Wilson, executive director of the Naperville Park District.
Replacing the Centennial Park Skate Facility
The Rothermel Family Skate Facility replaced the older Centennial Park Skate Facility in late 2023.
“The original skate facility was built in 2004, and we realized that the skate equipment was ready for replacement. It was starting to get worn down and it was a different type of equipment than what you see behind me now. This is a concrete facility, whereas the one before this was actually equipment that would be pieced together in place,” said Wilson.
Centennial Park’s new skating facility also brought in different types of ramps.
“One of the key differences with this facility is the bowl. So, the actual bowl is not something that you typically see in skate parks in this area. I know in speaking with some skaters, they’re very excited to have that type of element here that they can come and use,” said Wilson.
Naperville Park District hosts ribbon-cutting event
Several skaters and speakers arrived at Centennial Park to celebrate the official grand opening.
“Today we had remarks from our [Naperville] Park Board president, Mary Gibson, Jim Rothermel, Mike Trench with the DuPage Foundation, as well as myself, and then we conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony,” said Wilson.
“Then we’ve got Character Skateboards, a Chicago-based company, that came out today to support the event. They brought some of their skaters to do skate demos and to show some of the other younger skaters some different tips and tricks,” said Wilson.
A new skate park for the community
Jim Rothermel said he sees the new skate park as a necessary facility for the community.
“I think people will use it and it’s good for them, it’s good medicine,” said Rothermel. “I sure enjoy watching it.”
Park district staff hope the new skating facility will be a welcome addition to the many parks and recreation facilities in Naperville.
“We hope that these skaters enjoy this facility year-round, weather permitting, and that it’s accessible to everyone to be able to come and use,” said Wilson.
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