Greenville Leader

City Council took another step toward building a recreational wheel park adjacent to the Greenville Municipal Airport by agreeing to a long-term lease of 10 acres of land for the proposed project.

The City plans to create a skatepark and pump track for non-motorized vehicle use, including skateboards, bicycles, scooters, and inline skates.

"We have been looking for a location for years," Mayor Knox White said. "Since the airport was already in the recreation business with a park and mini golf course this became the perfect partnership."

Council authorized a 50-year lease agreement for land owned by the Greenville Municipal Airport. City Council has set aside an initial $1.25 million in the fiscal year 2024 and 2025 budgets for the planning and construction of a new park. The City will pay an annual fee for the lease using an offset from the Airport's annual stormwater fee or $40,000, whichever is greater.

Design work has yet to be started but will include community engagement with residents, neighbors, and project stakeholders. A connection to the Green Line of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail also is envisioned. City Manager Shannon Lavrin pointed to the Airport District Planning Study, completed in October 2023, as the catalyst for the project location.

"This is a win-win for the airport and the small businesses that surround it," Councilor Dorothy Dowe said. "It will provide a safer connection from the Green Line extension of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail to Runway Park, drawing more people to the airport and restaurants and amenities in the area."

Skate parks include specialized features such as ramps, bowls, and rails.

A pump track provides a closed circuit of rollers and banked turns.