Iowa City has selected a bidder for $2 million in renovations to a local skate park.
The skate park in Terrell Mill Park, near Mayflower Residence Hall and along the Iowa River, has been awaiting repairs for several years. First opened in 2002, the park has long been one of the only options for local skaters to gather.
The Iowa City City Council followed staff’s recommendation and selected Vieth Construction of Waterloo to conduct the $2 million facelift. Parks and Recreation staff previously told the Press-Citizen that they are hopeful that renovations will continue to expand the park’s popularity and provide options for skaters of all experience levels.
Construction is currently slated to begin in the spring and is expected to conclude by November 2026.
New pump track among highlights for updated Terrell Mill Park
Renovations to the park will not only provide updated infrastructure for the experienced skaters in the community, but plans will also add beginner- and intermediate-level tracks to the park.
The $2 million renovation will increase the size of the skate park and feature several new amenities, including tracks for bikers, rollerbladers and skateboarders of all skill levels. The plans also call for a spectator viewing area, something the current design lacks.
“We’re looking at some more gathering space type areas as well, places where communities can be fostered and created,” Iowa City Parks and Forestry Superintendent Tyler Baird previously told the Press-Citizen.
The new park will incorporate a “pump track,” a feature where bikers can pedal their bikes around a wavy, bendy pavement track. Baird said this would be among the first pavement pump tracks in the state. A dirt pump track was installed in Clinton in 2021, according to the DeWitt Observer.
The park will expand slightly further to the north toward the Beckwith Boathouse, the home of University of Iowa rowing, to accommodate all the new features.
Iowa City received “quite a bit of feedback” from folks in the skating community through online surveys and open houses when it was probing for designs in early 2024, Baird said.
“We heard a lot about (skaters) being a community, and wanting each different kind of skill level (represented),” Baird said. “They wanted to have an opportunity to support the others in the community but still have space for their needs as well.”
Baird hopes the park renovations will continue to inspire growth in the skating and biking communities.
“The more it’s being used, the more people are loving it, the more value that it’s providing the community,” Baird said.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Construction slated to begin in March 2026 on Iowa City skate park
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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