HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — Skateboarders in Western New York will soon have a new spot to show off their skills.
Food Court Skatepark, located inside of McKinley Mall, is having its grand opening this Sunday.
Weldon Jones, the skatepark's owner, has had this idea for the past five years. He saw the potential for the park when he worked at a different store in the mall — and is finally putting his vision to life.
"It's basically every skateboarder's dream to have a skatepark," Jones said.
Buffalo has not had a public and indoor skatepark since 2014, when Xtreme Wheels closed its doors. Jones is hoping to recreate the sense of community with his new space.
"It [Xtreme Wheels] was the spot. It brought people from all over Western New York," Jones said. "It brought all walks of life together."
Jones hopes to keep people in WNY skateboarding year-round. He welcomes advanced skaters who want to improve their tricks, as well as providing opportunities for new skaters who want to give it a try.
"If you do want to get into it, we're going to be offering lessons, both group and private, and we're going to have dedicated times for beginners to get out and have the park to themselves."
Jones hopes to use this space to do more than just skate, mentioning the possibility of paint nights or yoga classes.
"What we have here is a skatepark, but it's also a community center," Jones said. "You can come here even if you don't care about skateboarding; we're going to have a ton of different events just to engage everyone."
Jones also hopes that the attention from his skatepark will spill into the McKinley Mall — a shopping center in need of more business.
"I want you to just wander out into the mall and see what the mall has to offer. There's a ton of potential out there," Jones said.
Food Court Skatepark will have its grand opening this Sunday, July 23rd from noon to 9 p.m.
