Philadelphia Weekly

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When she was in middle school at Masterman, Jamie Elfant would watch the skateboarders who once ruled LOVE Park.

"I thought it was fascinating the way they were really integrated into urban culture, so when LOVE Park closed, it really left a void in the city," she says. "And not only that, but it displaced a community that really deserved to have its own space."

Now Elfant, 25, who has an urban studies degree from Penn, is helping head up the effort to build a brand-new skate park in Philly.

She got involved in September 2006, and was named executive director of Franklin's Paine Skate Park Fund less than a year ago.

The site, which will be called Paine's Park--2.5 acres just southwest of the Art Museum near the Schuylkill River Trail--as well as a $1 million grant has been donated so far by the city. And Nutter is supportive.

"He sees our project as a solution to the loss of LOVE Park," says Elfant.

But city aid can go only so far--Elfant says it's roughly a $6 million project.

"Our initial campaign strategy was to get a third from the city, a third from the state and a third from private corporations," she explains. "But as our capital campaign develops, that will likely change."

She says her group, with the help of state Rep. Babette Josephs, has submitted a $2.8 million request to the state, and they're working on corporate sponsors.

Anthony Bracali's park design--inspired by the street-skating style unintentionally promoted at LOVE Park--recently won a national skate park building competition by earning the most votes in an online poll.

The design features what Elfant calls a "mixed use" space--ledges, stairs and other surfaces for the skaters, benches for spectators and even a structure that can be used as an amphitheater.

"We won a fundraiser and professional art exhibition, so this group is coming from California and bringing all sorts of skateboarding and street-type art here for a show," she says excitedly.

"The show is going to take place at the Navy Yard, Urban Outfitters' corporate headquarters, in June," she says, "so we're really excited."

Elfant hopes to break ground next spring--which is good news for local skaters.

"That would be awesome because it's a place to skate and relax," says 14-year-old Shaquil Whaley as he takes a break from skating near Broad and Cecil B. Moore to sit at a picnic table. "I used to skate in LOVE Park, but sometimes people get kicked out or arrested."

Shaquil's skateboarding partner, 10-year-old Naire Forman, adds, "I think it would be nice because if you skateboard there you can go in the shade or go in the Art Museum and learn a few things."

But others aren't convinced.

"It would be cool. I'm all for it, but I just hope they don't start arresting people for skating places like here [Cecil B. Moore] and everywhere else," says Brian Douglas, 23, who's skeptical about whether the planned skate park will be built.

"They've been talking about building that forever," he says with a shrug.